New Year's Eve Parties Could Be Colourless as Swiggy, Zomato, and Blinkit Delivery Partners Go on Strike

Today, gig workers have announced a nationwide strike. This is likely to affect delivery services across India on the last day of the year.

Thousands of gig workers associated with major delivery and e-commerce platforms have called for a nationwide strike today, potentially impacting delivery services across India on the last day of the year. The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) and the Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT) have announced the shutdown.

Nationwide Strike Announced

Several regional organisations operating in parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi-NCR, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu have also broadly supported the shutdown. Customers in major cities like Bengaluru, Pune, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Kolkata may face extended waiting times, order cancellations, and limited delivery availability throughout the day. Many tier-2 cities could also be affected.

Our Issues Are Not Being Heard

Gig worker unions have stated that this protest is not intended to inconvenience customers but to draw immediate attention to their issues. They have called on platform companies to engage in dialogue and implement fair pay structures, social security benefits, and transparent policies.

Why Gig Workers Are Striking

Union leaders say the protest reflects growing discontent among gig workers over declining earnings, increasing workloads, and a lack of basic labour protections. Delivery partners working with companies such as Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Zepto, Amazon, and Flipkart have announced plans to log off from their apps or significantly reduce their work. This has raised concerns about delivery delays, order cancellations, and service disruptions on one of the busiest business days of the year.

Serious Impact on Last-Mile Delivery Operations

December 31 is traditionally one of the most in-demand days for food delivery, quick commerce, and online shopping due to New Year's celebrations and year-end sales. Industry experts have warned that widespread participation in the strike could severely impact last-mile delivery operations, affecting restaurants, grocery platforms, and retailers who heavily rely on app-based logistics to meet revenue targets.

According to the unions, delivery partners are being forced to work longer hours while their per-order pay continues to decrease. Workers have also raised concerns about the lack of insurance coverage, unsafe working conditions, arbitrary penalties, and job insecurity. Despite being referred to as 'partners' by companies and the backbone of India's digital commerce ecosystem, gig workers claim they are being mistreated.