NEW DELHI: Gig and platform service workers across the country switched off their apps on Monday as part of a nationwide online strike called by the Gig and Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU), marking the first phase of a broader protest against what the union described as exploitation and insecurity in the platform economy.
The union said nationwide physical protests will follow on February 3 at multiple locations.
According to GIPSWU, workers from ride-hailing, food and grocery delivery, domestic services, beauty and wellness, logistics, e-commerce, and digital services participated in the app switch-off.
The union said the protests are being led by women gig and platform service workers, drawing attention to the specific challenges they face in app-based work. It alleged that workers face arbitrary blocking of worker IDs, opaque rating systems, income insecurity, lack of grievance redressal mechanisms, and unilateral changes in work policies.
The union said women workers face additional vulnerabilities about safety, dignity, and legal protection, and claimed that those who demand fair payment are often harassed or subjected to violence and later penalised through ID blocking, leading to loss of livelihood.
Seema Singh, national president of the GIPSWU, said the union has made repeated representations to the Centre, but key demands remain unaddressed.“These include recognition of gig and platform workers as workers under a separate Central law, a ban on arbitrary ID blocking, fairer rating and assignment systems, improved income rates, and effective grievance redressal mechanisms, including Internal Complaints Committees under existing law,” she said.
The union also questioned the lack of clarity around recent government announcements on platform work policies, citing the absence of written orders.
Through the online strike and the planned February 3 protests, GIPSWU said workers aim to draw public and governmental attention to their long-standing demands.