Delivery personnel, cab drivers, and home service workers associated with major platforms like Swiggy, Zomato, Amazon, Flipkart, and Zepto-Blinkit are planning a strike on December 31, potentially impacting New Year celebrations across the country. The strike, called by the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) and the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union, aims to protest for better pay, working conditions and social security measures. A similar strike on December 25 caused significant delays in food delivery.
The gig workers have outlined several key demands: a guaranteed minimum income equivalent to at least the minimum wage, transparent payment structures, a minimum rate of ₹20 per kilometer for cab drivers, overtime pay for work beyond eight hours, insurance and social security coverage for accidents, illnesses, and emergencies and an end to unsafe “10-minute delivery” models. Workers have also demanded safer working conditions, highlighting that driving late at night during dense fog in winter is hazardous. They have suggested that deliveries should stop after 11 PM under such conditions.
With millions relying on food and e-commerce deliveries during the festive season, the strike could have widespread implications if not resolved before year-end.
