The December 31 nationwide strike proposed by gig workers created a minor blip on India’s quick-commerce graph. Deliveries were partially disrupted in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Surat and a few other cities, partly due to support from netizens who boycotted apps, but picked up pace after Zomato and Swiggy rolled out incentives for the New Year’s eve.
Some doorstep-delivery majors also strong-armed the protesting workers by blocking accounts on their platforms. The carrots and sticks ensured there was no major disruption, but the long-term demands of platform workers remained unaddressed.
While online shopping has become a necessity for almost every urban household, those who ensure delivery have been rendered casual workers without regular incomes, employee welfare or social security.
Emboldened by a Christmas-day protest highlighting some of the issues, the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers and the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union issued the strike call against low and unpredictable pay, incentive cuts, arbitrary blocking of worker IDs and the risks of 10-minute delivery targets. They pointed to the paradox of shrinking earnings despite surging delivery volumes.
After Rajasthan in 2023, Karnataka, Bihar and Jharkhand have passed laws to protect gig workers; the Telangana cabinet has cleared a Bill to the effect. But elsewhere, the issues of this unorganised workforce have been largely ignored.
The imposition of fees for delivery, demand surge, inclement weather and handling goes unchecked. While consumers are burdened, little is passed on to the crucial link between the seller and the buyer.
Gig workers’ biggest grouse is the 10-minute delivery, which forces them to risk life and violate rules, as late deliveries attract penalties. Resultant accidents have led to debilitating injuries and deaths, but platforms continue to avoid providing health insurance or disability cover.
It is time governments cracked the whip on behalf of gig workers, a fast-growing workforce that the Niti Aayog expects to number about 2.4 crore by 2029-30. The Centre has reformed labour laws to cover the gig economy, but compliance is awaiting the final rules.
Across the world, gig workers have been protesting and fighting legal battles for regular income and social security. Before another protest threatens the fragile links that make living possible in the increasingly chaotic and crowded Indian cities, governments must act proactively to protect them.