Food delivery apps have become part of everyday life across the country, especially during holidays and late evenings. But on December 31, many users may notice longer wait times as thousands of gig workers
decide to go on a nationwide strike to make their demands visible.
The planned shutdown is being called an “App Bandh” by gig workers’ unions, who say New Year’s Eve is being chosen deliberately so their concerns are finally heard. A similar call on December 25 caused disruptions in parts of north India, but operations remained largely unaffected in Bengaluru. But the December 31 strike could have a wider impact on the city, especially for food delivery services.
Strike Call For December 31
Multiple national and state-level unions have called for a nationwide strike on December 31. These include the Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT) and the Gig and Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU), along with support from Karnataka-based unions.
Prashant Sawardekar, founder and national president of IFAT, said the strike is voluntary but driven by fear and frustration among workers. IFAT has around seven lakh members across India, with nearly 35,000 in Bengaluru alone.
“There is no compulsion for the members to take part in the strike; we want them to participate on their own accord. The reality is that several people want to protest, but they are scared of being blacklisted by their respective companies,” he said as quoted by Deccan Herald.
Union leaders say food delivery services may be affected in the city on December 31, while cab and auto services are expected to continue as usual.
What The Workers Are Demanding
At the centre of the protest is opposition to the 10-minute delivery model, which workers say pushes them into unsafe working conditions. Along with this, unions are demanding regulation of platform companies under labour laws, an end to arbitrary ID blocking, fair and transparent wages, better social security and protection of the right to organise and collectively bargain.
A delivery executive from Bengaluru, Salauddin, who is 49 years old, explained how penalties often fall unfairly on riders.
“It could be an error by the restaurant or the customer, but we are the ones who bear the brunt of it. If the restaurant delays the order preparation, the customers raise a complaint against us, and if a customer delays picking up the order and is unresponsive, our time is wasted, but the customer is not held responsible. We are penalised for every delay,” he told the outlet.
Many workers are also hoping that the base pay per delivery will be fixed at a minimum of Rs 20 in the new year.
Bengaluru Workers’ IDs Blocked After December 25 Protest
Meanwhile, tensions increased after the December 25 strike when around 20 delivery executives in Bengaluru alleged that their IDs were blocked by aggregator platforms. According to a report by The Hindu, some workers were told that their accounts were terminated for being a “strike enabler.”
Screenshots accessed by The Hindu cite conversations with support teams of food delivery platforms where participation in the strike was cited as the reason for deactivation.
Mahiboob Pasha, one of the affected delivery executives, said his ID was blocked after he joined a protest near Sarjapur. “On December 25, we held a strike near Sarjapur to oppose such exploitative practices of aggregator companies. Now, the IDs of around 20 members, including mine, have been blocked,” he said. His weekly payout of around Rs 5,000 has been withheld since then.
Allegations Of Pressure
Some workers also alleged harassment following the protest. Pasha claimed that police complaints were filed by managers of aggregator companies during the December 25 strike.
“On the day of the strike, following police complaints filed by managers of aggregator companies, we were taken to the police station and held there for about six hours. Only after the union representatives came did they let us go,” he said.
He further alleged that some workers received calls from people claiming to be from police stations and warned them to stay away from the strike.
Legal Concerns Raised By Unions
The Karnataka App-Based Workers’ Union submitted a letter to the Labour Department in which it stated that such ID blocking violates constitutional rights and goes against the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act.
The Act clearly states that an aggregator cannot terminate or deactivate a gig worker without valid reasons in writing and a prior notice of fourteen days.
“We bring to your attention the screenshots (attached) which show a Zomato worker’s ID being deactivated, explicitly stating that this deactivation is for ‘strike enabler reasons.’ In addition, many gig workers have faced other forms of retaliation and threats for participating in any sort of collective action,” the union wrote in a letter, as quoted by The Hindu.
Unions Stand Firm Ahead Of December 31
Union leaders claim nearly 40,000 delivery workers across India participated in the December 25 strike. They say the December 31 action will continue until core demands are addressed.
Labour Department officials have reportedly said the issue is on their radar and is being examined.
