Hyderabad: Nearly 40,000 delivery workers participated in the first day of the nationwide strike on Thursday, December 25, causing widespread disruptions on Christmas day.
The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) announced a two-day strike in retaliation for unfair practices and exploitation by delivery apps.
“Today’s nationwide flash strike has exposed the reality of India’s gig economy. When delivery workers raise their voice, platform companies respond with ID blocking, threats, police intimidation, and algorithmic punishment. This is nothing but modern-day exploitation,” its founder, Shaik Salauddin, said in a statement. He also serves as the national general secretary of the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT).
TGPWU alleged that the delivery companies tried to break the strike by using third-party delivery agencies, extra incentive bribes and reactivating inactive IDs instead of actually addressing the workers’ demands.
He said that gig workers refuse to accept unsafe ‘10-minute delivery’ models, arbitrary ID blocking, or denial of dignity and social security and have asked the government to regulate platform companies.
Gig workers are set to go on strike again on New Year’s Eve (December 31).
According to a NITI Aayog report, India’s gig and platform workforce is projected to grow from 7.7 million in 2021 to 23.5 million by 2030, even as concerns over unfair labour practices and exploitation persist.
