Nationwide Gig Workers’ Strike on New Year’s Eve May Disrupt Food and E-Commerce Deliveries
New Year’s Eve is one of the busiest days of the year for online orders, and a nationwide protest by gig workers could significantly disrupt food delivery, quick commerce, and e-commerce services across multiple cities. Workers associated with platforms such as Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Zepto, Amazon, and Flipkart are expected to participate in the strike. Unions warn that the action could hurt retailers and platforms that rely heavily on last-mile delivery to meet year-end sales targets.
Nationwide Strike Called by Gig Workers’ Unions
Ahead of the nationwide strike scheduled for Wednesday, gig workers’ unions have reiterated their key demands, including the removal of the 10-minute delivery option and the restoration of earlier payment structures. Union leaders argue that the current delivery model places unsafe pressure on workers and has led to a sharp decline in their earnings.
Sheikh Salauddin, President of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union, said the fast-delivery model forces workers to take risks on the road, while frequent changes to payment systems have reduced incomes. He added that thousands of workers across the country are preparing to join the protest, which could disrupt delivery services during peak hours.
Speaking to ANI, Salauddin said, “Our demand from platform companies is to restore the old payment structure and remove the 10-minute delivery option from all platforms. We are open to dialogue and discussion. We also request intervention from both state and central governments.”
The strike has been called jointly by the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT), with support from regional worker groups in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi-NCR, West Bengal, and parts of Tamil Nadu.
Why Are Gig Workers Protesting?
According to the unions, delivery partners—who form the backbone of India’s app-based commerce system—are being forced to work longer hours while earning less. They allege that workers face unsafe delivery targets, minimal job security, lack of dignity at work, and almost no access to basic social security benefits.
In a letter to Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, IFAT said it represents nearly 400,000 app-based transport and delivery workers nationwide. The federation noted that workers had already carried out a sudden nationwide strike on December 25, which disrupted services by 50–60% in several cities.
The unions said the protests are aimed at highlighting unsafe delivery models, falling incomes, arbitrary ID blocking, and the absence of social security. IFAT also claimed that after the December 25 protest, platform companies did not engage in dialogue. Instead, it alleged that companies responded with threats, account deactivations, and algorithm-based penalties. The letter further accused platforms of using third-party agencies to weaken strikes.
Impact on Customers and Demands from Government
Due to the December 31 strike, customers may face delays and cancellations as delivery executives log off apps or significantly reduce work. Food orders, grocery deliveries, and last-minute shopping are expected to be affected in major cities such as Pune, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Kolkata, as well as in several tier-2 markets.
In its letter, IFAT urged the government to regulate platform companies under labor laws and to ban unsafe delivery models, including extremely fast delivery timelines. The federation also demanded a ban on arbitrary ID blocking, a fair and transparent wage system, social security benefits such as health coverage, accident insurance, and pensions, and protection of workers’ rights to unionize and bargain collectively.
Calling for urgent government intervention, IFAT requested tripartite talks involving the government, platform companies, and worker unions. The letter was signed by IFAT co-founder and National General Secretary Sheikh Salauddin and Inayat Ali, founder of the Karnataka App-Based Workers Union and National Vice-President of the federation. Copies of the letter were also sent to senior officials in the Ministry of Labour and Employment.