Delivery workers for platforms like Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit, Zepto, Flipkart and Amazon are expected to take part in a nationwide strike called by the gig and platform workers' association on Wednesday, New Year's Eve.
The strike is to demand immediate government intervention to stop the “systemic exclusion from core labour entitlements” against the workers.
Quick commerce delivery service platforms are set for major disruption on one of the busiest sales days of the year.
In a letter to the Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the Gig and Platform Services Workers Union (GIPSWU) said that gig workers continued to be denied basic labour rights, which are guaranteed under Indian law and the constitution. They demanded immediate intervention into the widespread exploitation of the workers.
In a core list of demands, the association called for a minimum guaranteed salary of Rs 40,000 a month in place of the current commission-based payment system and leave and basic facilities at workplaces.
The unions have asked all their workers to log out of the quick commerce apps on December 31.
Association general secretary Nirmal Gorana said that workers face penalties and are often denied work because of delays in reaching customers. Several platforms have the practice of trying to deliver goofs within 10 to 20 minutes. If they fail to reach within the time, the platform blocks the ID of the worker and temporarily denies them further assignments.
The workers are also not considered employees of the platform they work for and thereby are not guaranteed any provision of labour laws such as an eight-hour work day, overtime, insurance, leave, gratuity and pension, emergency and maternity leave.
They have also asked for a replacement of AI-based customer support with human grievance redressal systems and recognition as 'workers' instead of 'partners'.
The workplaces, which are warehouses, do not have several facilities like restrooms and a medical room.
The organisation had conducted a similar strike on December 25, which disrupted 50-60 per cent of quick commerce services in major cities.