Gig workers’ strike likely to dampen New Year’s Eve celebrations

Residents across Delhi-NCR are likely to face delays and order cancellations on Wednesday, New Year’s Eve, typically the year’s busiest day for food delivery and transport apps, as thousands of gig workers are expected to go on a nationwide strike.

The call for the strike by the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers, Gig and Platform Service Workers’ Union, and several other independent workers follows similar action taken on Christmas that disrupted services.

Workers’ ordeal

Despite the companies’ claim that they are “gig-worker centric”, the workers said that the ground reality is different. Workers have been stranded by companies when it comes to taking responsibility for them, according to the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers.

“We are labelled as independent partners, so we are not considered for the risks that come along with the work. The accidents and medical bills we incur are considered personal expenses. The strike is to highlight these issues, and we demand that the algorithm-based system be stopped. The 10-minute delivery trap is unrealistic, and the worker loses more than what they get,” said a worker.

Nadeem, a 30-year-old worker from Chandni Chowk, claimed that he was left in the lurch about 10 months ago after he met an accident, following which he slipped into coma for at least three months. 

He claimed that he spent over ₹1 lakh for the treatment, and the company has not provided him with any support.

Another independent worker, Aman, complained about a meagre salary despite putting in hard blocks. Showing his app screen, the delivery partner from Jafrabad said he had been working for 7 hours and had already delivered 11 orders by 4 p.m. on Monday, yet his earnings were only ₹263.

“The app algorithm is abrupt and not fixed. At times, one could earn around ₹1,000 a day for the same number of orders after putting in 10-12 hours,” he said.

Prabhat Kumar Verma, a ride-hailing app captain, said the company’s system differs from those of food delivery apps.

“One has to pay at least a 13% charge per ride as a platform fee. You can avoid this charge only by purchasing the company’s incentives. These incentives are provided daily and weekly, and work just like your mobile recharge. After paying a minimum amount to the company, you can earn a specified amount without incurring the platform charge on your rides. The incentive is valid for a set period. For example, by paying ₹125, you could earn ₹1400 in three days without paying the platform fee on your rides. There are multiple such incentives, but the amount you receive is still very low considering the expenses on fuel and maintenance of the vehicle,” Mr. Verma explained.