Nationwide Strike by Gig Workers Disrupts Food and Delivery Services

New Delhi: Gig workers associated with online delivery apps and platform-based services launched a nationwide strike on February 3, demanding better working conditions and legal recognition. The protest has affected food and quick-commerce deliveries in several cities, causing delays and temporary service disruptions.

The strike was called by the Gig and Platform Workers Union, which is pressing for a separate central law to formally recognize gig and platform workers. Union representatives say workers face arbitrary ID blocking, lack of transparency in platform rating systems, and unstable income, leaving them without adequate legal safeguards.

As part of the protest, gig workers are scheduled to gather at Jantar Mantar around 1 pm to demonstrate and submit a charter of demands to authorities. Union leaders stated that despite repeated assurances from stakeholders, little progress has been made toward structural reforms, prompting workers to escalate their agitation.

Workers argue that gig employment has expanded rapidly in India, yet labour protections have not kept pace with the sector’s growth. They are seeking fair income standards, social security benefits, and protection from sudden account deactivation, which they say can instantly cut off livelihoods.

The strike has already led to noticeable disruptions in online food and grocery deliveries in multiple urban centers. Industry observers say the protest highlights growing tensions between platform companies and their workforce, raising broader questions about regulation and labour rights in India’s gig economy.