HYDERABAD: Delivery workers affiliated with major e-commerce and food delivery platforms will go on a nationwide flash strike, with employees of each platform like Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto, Blinkit, Amazon and Flipkart not working for two hours, on Christmas and New Year’s Eve to protest what they describe as deteriorating working conditions.
According to the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU), the all-India protest is aimed at highlighting the denial of fair wages, safety, dignity and social security to delivery workers.
Among their key demands are transparent and fair wage structures, immediate withdrawal of “10-minute delivery” models that allegedly endanger workers’ lives, an end to arbitrary penalties and ID deactivations, and improved safety measures including protective gear and accident insurance.
They also sought assured work allocation without algorithmic discrimination, mandatory rest breaks, reasonable working hours, and stronger grievance redressal mechanisms for technical and payment-related issues. Job security and comprehensive social security benefits such as health insurance, accident coverage and pensions also figure prominently in their charter of demands.
Calling for immediate government intervention, the workers urged both the Centre and state governments to regulate platform companies, enforce labour protections, implement social security frameworks for gig workers, and recognise their right to collectively bargain.
TGPWU founder president and Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers national general secretary Shaik Salauddin said delivery workers were being “pushed to breaking point by unsafe work models, falling incomes and the total absence of social protection.” He added that the flash strike was a collective call for justice and dignity.