BENGALURU: Bengaluru’s sudden cloudburst on Wednesday brought the city to a standstill. For app-based delivery workers and service partners, the disruption translated into lost income, damaged vehicles and dangerous working conditions. Despite flooded roads, traffic jams and lack of proper shelter from rain, the gig workers remained outdoors, continuing deliveries and services despite the downpour.
Unlike salaried employees who can pause work or work from home, gig workers have no such choice. Delays in deliveries or service cancellations often attract penalties from app-based platforms, directly affecting their earnings.
Selvi, an app-based service partner, said she was caught in the rain while on her way to complete a booking and was unable to finish the service as the rain intensified and roads became waterlogged. “I informed both the customer and the company, but neither agreed to cancel the booking. They said I had to continue, otherwise there would be penalties. In the end, I lost the booking, my earnings and had to spend my savings repairing my vehicle due to flooding,” she said.
Inayat Ali, president of Karnataka App-Based Workers Union, said the rains once again highlighted how vulnerable gig workers are. He said they are left stranded on roads during sudden weather changes with no shelters, rest spaces or emergency support from either the government or the aggregators.
“When it rains, workers are forced to stand under flyovers, bus stops or wherever they find space. There is no designated shelter for them. Yet they are expected to continue deliveries, for their livelihood depends on it,” he said.
He added that several delivery workers reported minor accidents, skidding and falling on slippery, waterlogged roads, while many also lost delivery products damaged in the rain. The union has urged the government and app-based companies to create emergency shelter spaces and introduce weather-based relief measures for workers.
Gig workers said the lack of support from platform companies has made the work increasingly unsustainable, especially during emergencies like sudden rains. With workers spending their own money on fuel, vehicle maintenance and repairs, many said their earnings often fall short of covering even basic costs. “We travel long distances and spend from our own pockets on fuel and maintenance, but the earnings are often not enough to recover those expenses. When something goes wrong, there is no support from the company,”they said.
