App-based gig workers observe Christmas Day strike over pay and work conditions

By A Representative 

App-based gig and platform workers across the country observed a nationwide strike on Christmas Day following a call by the Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU), a women-led trade union representing workers in the platform economy. Workers associated with ride-hailing, delivery and home-service platforms, including Swiggy, Zepto and others, refrained from accepting rides and orders as part of the protest, seeking income security, regulated working hours and recognition of basic labour rights.

According to the union, the strike was organised to highlight what it described as declining earnings and worsening working conditions in the gig economy. GIPSWU has demanded that platform companies ensure income security at least equivalent to statutory minimum wages. Among its key demands is a minimum per-kilometre rate of not less than Rs 20 for ride-hailing drivers, calculated after commissions and fuel costs. The union has also called for an eight-hour working day, overtime payments beyond prescribed hours, and safeguards against what it terms arbitrary deactivations, ID blocking and penalty systems.

Union representatives said that current algorithm-driven payment structures do not adequately account for waiting time, fuel price increases and vehicle maintenance expenses, making it difficult for workers to sustain themselves. They alleged that workers’ IDs are frequently blocked or deactivated without prior notice or due process, particularly when ratings fall or when workers raise concerns, effectively cutting off their source of income.

GIPSWU reiterated its demand that gig and platform workers be recognised as workers under existing labour laws, with access to minimum wages and social security benefits such as health insurance, maternity benefits and pensions. The union also highlighted the challenges faced by women gig workers, particularly in beauty and home services, citing safety concerns, gender-based violence, lack of maternity support and instances of sudden ID deactivation.

The Christmas Day strike follows the union’s nationwide “Digital Strike” held on Diwali on October 31, 2024, when gig workers switched off their phones and protested through what was described as digital silence. During that action, workers used social media platforms to raise issues related to ratings, harassment, deactivations and the absence of collective bargaining rights.

In a statement, the union said that despite repeated assurances by platform companies about empowering workers, per-task payments have continued to decline, while rating thresholds and automated assignment systems have become more stringent. It also criticised what it described as opaque mechanisms for blocking worker IDs.

Appealing for wider support, GIPSWU called on the Union and state governments to fix and enforce fair minimum rates for gig work and to penalise non-compliant companies. It also urged platform companies to establish transparent grievance redressal mechanisms and restore IDs blocked without due process. The union appealed to the public to express solidarity by limiting use of platform services on the day of the strike and amplifying workers’ concerns through social media.