You might have heard of it.
A 24-year-old worker being forced to take a pledge to skip toilet and water breaks until packages from six massive trucks -- each 24 feet long -- were unloaded. This message was passed on right after a 30-minute tea break at an Amazon warehouse in Manesar, Haryana.
With media reports painting this dire a picture, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was moved enough to launch an investigation while demanding answers from the Central Labour Ministry.
The incident might have gained attention because it happened at an Amazon warehouse, where even basic amenities like restrooms are reportedly missing. But it's far from an isolated case. In a country with about 8 million gig workers, such harrowing stories are all too common.
Labour associations in India have accused five warehouses in and around Manesar of violating regulations under the Factories Act, 1948. These cases highlight the broader issue of gig workers' exploitation by the companies that employ them.
With the rise of new-generation business models in retail and delivery, particularly aggregator platforms, the gig worker population is growing rapidly. NITI Aayog estimated that their numbers could expand to 23.5 million by 2029–30 from the 7.7 million they are at now.
India's unrecognised workforce
India's Social Security law defines a gig worker as someone who performs tasks or participates in work arrangements and earns independently.
This includes ridesharing drivers, food delivery couriers, freelance writers, graphic designers, and other service providers who offer their expertise on a project-by-project basis.
"A gig worker has to work over 10 hours a day to earn Rs 1,000. After expenses, he takes home about Rs 700," explains Prashant, an auto rickshaw driver with a ride-sharing platform in Tamil Nadu.
"But there are even days when we get nothing," he quickly adds.
Simon, another auto driver, speaks of how "today is a dull day". "Rides are hard to come by," he bemoans, underlining the insecurity that prompts him and his fellow drivers to "work even when we fall sick."
These gig workers sadly lack even insurance for ill health, death or accidents.
The family of Rabindra Malick (name changed), an AC mechanic in Kolkata who died from an electric shock while working without proper safety measures, received next to no compensation and remains dependent on the online service providing platform's mercy as there was no life or accident insurance.
Simply put, Rabindra, Simon, Prashant and millions of their co-workers have been left unrecognised and unregistered, excluded from government labour welfare schemes and protections.
Madan S, a student who is a delivery boy with a food-delivery platform and works nine hours a day, earns about Rs 1000 to support their families and education. Unprotected by anti-exploitation laws, he is a living example of gig workers having no fixed work hours and receiving no minimum wage guarantee or welfare benefits.
A big driver
Many are driven by lack of formal employment opportunities to these unorganised or informal job platforms.
Gopi, 43, who lost his job at Videocon, works 13 to 14 hours a day with a food-delivery platform to support his family.
Long hours and compulsory workdays, often inadequately incentivised, are common.
Prakashan, a delivery boy in Kerala, notes that the promise of flexible work hours is rarely a reality. Some workers juggle multiple delivery apps, working 18 to 20 hours a day.
Discrimination is another issue.
Food delivery workers talk of how they are often treated badly by the restaurants and order placing stores and even by security guards of housing societies.
Raj Kumar, a food delivery person, recounts being denied elevator access and forced to climb stairs to complete deliveries.
Having hopes for a little higher earning, the delivery boys sometimes opt for longer trips. But some struggle to find orders for return trips, resulting in money being spent from the pocket for fuel.
"Recently, I got an order for a delivery that was 30 km away. But, I had to wait for almost three hours to get a return order. Also, since the hiring platform gave only a small petrol allowance, every day saw me spending additional money on fuel," says Durai Murugan, who was with a food delivery platform.
Call for social security
With their cup of concerns brimming over, the All India Gig Workers' Union (AIGWU) has been demanding proper social security schemes for these workers.
"We are asking for the inclusion of gig workers in the category of workers or employees. This will give them access to basic social security schemes like health insurance, leaves and employment security that workers from any other industry now avail," says Saubhik Bhattacharya, General Secretary of AIGWU.
"A large portion of the workers include women in platforms like Zomato and Urban Company, and they must be given the facilities that women working in other sectors get, mainly the privileges like maternity and menstrual leaves," he adds.
According to a recent Employment Outlook Report prepared by Teamlease Service, there were about 68,000 women working in the delivery industry in 2018-2019.
Rajasthan leads the way
Rajasthan was the first state to introduce a law for gig workers, enacting the Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Act on July 24, 2023. This law established a welfare board and unique IDs for workers, and a system to monitor payments through a Central Transaction Information and Management System (CTIMS).
Karnataka has also drafted a law to protect gig workers' rights.
These new regulations aim to enhance protections, including safeguards against unfair dismissals and a two-tiered grievance redressal system. A welfare board and social security funds, financed by welfare fees and government contributions, will also be established.
NHRC's demands
A universal social security net indeed needs to be in place for the gig economy and the NHRC emphasised this to the Central Ministry of Labour and Employment.
In its letter, the human rights body highlighted the need to ensure proper payment of minimum wages, social security for workers, safe working environments, safety gear, medical insurance, and annual health check-ups.
Will this get a hearing and lead to action? Hopefully, but then again...