Delivery workers under IFAT held a nationwide strike over low wages and poor conditions. Despite the protest, restaurants in cities like Noida and Kanpur reported limited impact, with deliveries and business operations continuing without disruption.
Platform-based delivery workers affiliated with the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) staged a nationwide strike on Wednesday to protest low wages, unfair working conditions, and the lack of social security, warning that delivery services could be disrupted during peak hours. However, the strike had a limited impact on restaurant operations across several cities, with many establishments reporting regular business and uninterrupted deliveries.
Minimal Disruption Reported by Restaurants
In Noida, Gaurang, a manager at Bikanervala, said there was no visible strike in the region. “There is no strike… We have completed almost 120 orders till now… There is no such strike in Noida and Greater Noida as of now,” Gaurang told ANI.
Similarly, in Kanpur, Treat Restaurant owner Mohammad Mustakim said customer footfall and deliveries remained unaffected. “People are visiting. There was no effect of the strike… The delivery boys are also picking up the orders,” Mustakim told ANI.
In Siliguri, West Bengal, restaurant manager Rupak Chakraborty of Gour Nitai stated that, despite reports of a nationwide strike by platforms such as Swiggy and Zomato, deliveries continued without disruption. “I had heard that all the online platforms like Swiggy and Zomato were on strike all over India, but our restaurant orders are getting delivered…. There is no effect of the strike on our restaurant at this time,” he said.
Ahmedabad-based Shiv Shakti Kathiyawadi restaurant owner Prakash Bageshra also echoed similar views. “There was no effect… It is 31 December… Food delivery partners were also available today,” he said.
Workers Detail Grievances Over Pay and Conditions
Meanwhile, according to food delivery agents, the primary reason for the strike was that, despite spending long hours on the road, their income had declined significantly, leaving them financially strained.
A delivery agent said that workers are often required to remain polite to customers, irrespective of the challenges they face during deliveries. He added that riders are penalised even when orders are cancelled for reasons beyond their control. “We are also participating in the strike. There are many reasons. For example, the rate card. We don’t get paid enough. The company doesn’t provide insurance… When we go to the customer, no matter how much trouble we’re in, we smile and say, ‘Thank you, sir, please give us a rating.’ If an order is cancelled for any reason, the penalty falls on the rider… The company should take action on this matter. We work 14 hours a day, spending day and night on the road… We don’t get paid according to the amount of work we do,” he told ANI.
Another delivery worker said that while the rate structure was reasonable in the initial phase, recent changes have made it increasingly difficult for riders to earn a better income. He cited the case of a rider who met with an accident in the Barakhamba area and did not receive any insurance support from the company. “Initially, the rate card was fine, but now they have changed it, causing difficulties and problems for all the riders. We don’t even get insurance claims. A rider recently had an accident at Barakhamba, and he didn’t receive any claim… Our team leader and senior company officials told him to create a PDF, which they would send to Bangalore… There was no response from there. We all chipped in Rs 1000-2000 to help that rider. Now that guy is working even at night, taking orders at 1 or 2 AM… The TL never answers the phone. After 20 or 25 calls, the TL answers with an attitude. And if you argue with him even a little, he blocks your ID… After working 14 hours, we’re only getting Rs 700-800… Today, there’s a strike all over Delhi,” he said.
The worker further alleged that team leaders are often unresponsive and, in some cases, block riders’ IDs when they raise concerns. “After working for 14 hours, we barely earn Rs 700 to Rs 800. Despite this, many of us are forced to continue working late into the night,” he added.
Another delivery agent said services were completely halted in several areas as part of the protest. “Currently, deliveries are stopped… We heard there’s a strike, so we’re not working at all… We are grateful that the company gave us a lot in the beginning. But now, they are taking back everything they gave… Other companies offer promotions, but here, we’re only getting demotions… We have to work 15-16 hours to make ends meet,” he said.
AAP MP Calls for Better Regulation, Slams 10-Minute Delivery
Earlier, Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Raghav reiterated his call to ban 10-minute delivery apps, claiming that the same companies have been oppressing gig workers and shooting up their evaluations on their backs, enriching only the companies. “In today’s time, Swiggy Zomato delivery boys, Blinkit Zepto riders, Ola Uber drivers, are a workforce on the back of which these big companies have become unicorns; they have got billion-dollar valuations. In this entire ecosystem that has been created, if there’s one group of people who are oppressed and under immense pressure, it’s the gig workers,” the AAP MP said during an exclusive interview with ANI.
Under the 10-minute delivery guarantee, a gig worker who drives recklessly, becomes increasingly anxious, risks losing incentives, and faces customer abuse if the delivery is late, while not receiving any regular worker protections, Chadha said.
As part of improving working conditions and rights for workers, Chadha has proposed setting working hours for gig workers to end the practice of people working 14-16 hours a day for incentives.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)