Gig workers

The strike by a section of gig workers on New Year’s Eve may not have caused major disruptions across the country, but it has done enough to turn the spotlight on their key demands — better payouts and improved working conditions. The contrast could not have been starker: leading food delivery aggregators recorded a massive surge in orders on December 31, even as exhausted bikers aired their myriad grievances. Gig workers — those who make a living outside the traditional employer-employee ambit — have become integral to urban convenience. With over 12.7 million such workers in India today — the number is projected to reach 23.5 million by 2030 — the sector is no longer peripheral. Yet, for many delivery partners, the promise of flexibility has been eclipsed by falling payouts, algorithmic penalties, long working hours and the constant pressure of speed-driven models like 10-minute deliveries.

The muted impact of the strike reveals a harsh truth: the gig economy is now so deeply embedded in daily life that platforms can often ride out worker protests with incentives and surge pay. However, workers’ claims — earning Rs 700-800 after 14-hour workdays, being denied insurance after accidents — point to structural flaws that incentives alone cannot fix.

This is where the recent labour reforms assume critical importance. For the first time, gig and platform workers have been formally defined under the law. Mandatory contributions of 1-2% of aggregator turnover to a social security fund and Aadhaar-linked universal account numbers signal an overdue shift towards legal recognition. However, implementation will determine whether these reforms become transformative or merely symbolic. Notably, MPs such as Raghav Chadha and Manoj Kumar Jha have flagged the exploitation of gig workers. India’s gig economy has shown its prowess to generate jobs. Its success should ultimately be measured not just in terms of the minutes saved, but also the gains shared and jobs as well as lives made less insecure.