An important news that has caught the attention of the entire country has emerged, as gig workers working on online delivery apps and various digital platforms have announced a nationwide strike on Tuesday, February 3. This strike is likely to have a significant impact on online delivery as well as domestic services, repair services, and personal services.
Gig workers say that they neither receive stable wages nor a safe and respectful work environment. Many times, their IDs are blocked without any prior notice, depriving them of their livelihood in an instant. In protest against these unjust policies, gig workers have now decided to take to the streets and demonstrate.
In this strike, not only delivery boys or riders, but also beauticians, spa and salon employees, domestic workers, cleaners, plumbers, electricians, AC repair workers, and carpenters who accept work from online platforms will be largely involved. Therefore, it is anticipated that all these types of online services may be completely or partially shut down on Tuesday.
This strike has been called under the leadership of the Gig and Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU). It was stated on behalf of the union that workers had protested earlier on January 26 and before that as well. However, no concrete solution was reached by the government and the concerned platform companies. Therefore, now thousands of gig workers will gather at Jantar Mantar in Delhi at 1 PM on February 3 for a nationwide protest.
GIPSWU alleges that platform companies are frequently making unilateral changes in arbitrary ID blocking, opaque rating systems, unstable wages, and working conditions. Especially when female workers raise questions about wages or safety, they are harassed. In some cases, the union has alleged that they have also faced violence.
Speaking about this strike, GIPSWU National President Seema Singh said, “We have repeatedly presented our demands to the central government, but no concrete action has been taken yet. Our main demands are recognition of gig and platform workers under a separate central law, a ban on arbitrary ID blocking, a transparent rating and work allocation system, fair wage rates, and a strong grievance redressal mechanism.” Due to this nationwide strike, citizens may face significant difficulties in receiving online deliveries and various services on Tuesday.