A nationwide strike by app-based delivery workers on New Year's Eve, protesting against low pay and inadequate social security benefits, met with a mixed response across India. While major platforms like Swiggy, Zomato, and Zepto offered significantly increased festive bonuses to counter potential service delays, a section of the workforce remained defiant, participating in the protest.
Platforms Counter Strike with Hefty Incentives
Anticipating one of the busiest nights of the year, food and grocery delivery aggregators proactively raised pay per order to ensure sufficient manpower. Shaik Salauddin, founder president of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union, stated that platforms which typically pay between Rs 5 to Rs 10 per delivery were offering incentives in the range of Rs 110 to Rs 150 per order on December 31. The union is leading the protest alongside the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT).
Aggregators also offered to waive penalties for order denials and cancellations. In a letter dated November 30, Zomato assured its delivery partners they could "log in without worry and earn up to Rs 3,500," promising on-field assistance and even encouraging them to call police if faced with interruptions. Union leaders see this communication as recognition of their growing collective strength.
Workers Cite Unrealistic Targets and Risks
Despite the lure of higher earnings, many workers found the incentive structures impractical. A delivery partner, Siddhesh Patil (name changed), explained that targets attached to "double earnings" offers were often impossible to achieve. He highlighted that on crowded festival days, restaurants are packed, leading to slow processing of online orders, which reduces the number of deliveries a rider can complete.
Patil gave an example: even if promised an extra Rs 90 per order during the 6-10 PM dinner rush and a guaranteed payout of Rs 2,175 for completing 19 orders in six hours, the target remains elusive. "On an average day, I complete 20 orders between 9am and 11pm. Last New Year's Eve I completed 15 orders with difficulty," he said. Those who chose to strike risked punitive measures, including having their IDs blocked by the aggregator.
Restaurants Adapt and Broader Demands
The standoff prompted restaurants to find alternative solutions to avoid disruption. Many increased focus on their own delivery channels. Sagar Daryani, co-founder & CEO of Wow! Momo Foods, said they stepped up promotion of their in-house Wow Eats app through mass emails to customers. Other restaurants partnered with logistics firms like Shadowfax and Rapido, whose riders were not part of the strike. Kolkata-based restaurant Chowman also actively pushed orders through its own app to be handled by its in-house fleet.
The strike underscores the long-standing grievances of gig workers. They are protesting the pressure from aggressive delivery models, arbitrary incentive structures, ID blocking, penalties, and the continuous reduction in per-order payouts. "This is not a genuine solution to long-standing issues of pay cuts, unsafe work pressure, and arbitrary policies," emphasized Salauddin, urging workers to support the strike for systemic change rather than short-term bonus gains.
