The Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, while reviewing the Economic Survey in Parliament on Tuesday, highlighted the rapid growth of gig and platform workers in India. According to the Survey, the number of gig workers has increased from 7.7 million to around 12 million, marking a growth of about 55 percent. Their share in the overall workforce is projected to rise from 2 percent to 6.7 percent, with gig workers expected to contribute approximately ₹2.35 lakh crore to the GDP by 2030. The Survey also noted that over 40 percent of gig workers earn less than ₹15,000 per month.
In response to these findings, the Gig and Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) alleged that public claims made earlier by former Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal regarding gig workers’ earnings were misleading and inconsistent with the Economic Survey data. The union claimed that such statements amounted to an attempt to mislead the government and obscured the economic realities faced by gig workers. GIPSWU further asserted that an estimated 4.8 million gig workers earning below ₹15,000 per month are effectively subjected to conditions amounting to forced labour.
The union reiterated its demand that gig workers be brought under the Labour Code to ensure legal recognition and protection of their rights. It also called on the government to fix an hourly income benchmark for gig workers in line with the Supreme Court’s Reptakos judgment, which outlines principles for determining minimum wages. According to the union, any calculation of minimum income should account for transportation costs, vehicle maintenance, licensing fees, waiting time and other work-related expenses.
GIPSWU also demanded that the government announce a monthly basic minimum financial support for gig workers and strictly prohibit the practice of companies blocking workers’ IDs, which it described as a growing concern within the gig economy. The union announced that it will organise nationwide protests on 3 February and submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister outlining its demands, said Nirmal Gorana, National Coordinator of the Gig and Platform Service Workers Union.
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