Ola, Uber, Zomato Workers Stage Strike In Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad Over Gig Workers’ Rights

Pune : Rajasthan has become the first state in India to enforce the Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers Registration and Welfare Act, 2023. This act establishes a comprehensive legal framework to regulate and support the growing gig economy workforce.The bill was introduced in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly on July 21, 2023, and passed on July 24, 2023.

This landmark act sets a precedent for addressing the unique challenges faced by gig workers. Its main objective is to provide gig workers with essential benefits and social security, ensuring their protection with minimal investment. The act extends labour guarantees to gig workers employed through platforms like Ola, Uber, Swiggy, Zomato, Amazon, Urban Company, and others.

Gig workers in Rajasthan will benefit from various aspects of this legislation. Violating this act may result in fines ranging from Rs 5 to 50 lakhs, highlighting the importance of compliance with the new regulations.

Aggregators will be required to pay fees based on their transactions with platform-based gig workers. Failure to make these payments within the specified timeframe will incur a 12 percent annual interest charge, starting from the due date. Any breach of the law may result in fines ranging from 5 lakhs to 50 lakhs.

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In Pune, a group of cab drivers and delivery personnel associated with companies like Ola, Zomato, Swiggy, Uber, and others have collectively announced a one-day strike scheduled for October 25, 2023.

Leading this initiative are the Indian Gig Workers Front and the Indian Gig Workers Forum, aiming to promote a fairer and improved working environment for gig workers. The striking gig workers have urgent concerns they wish to address: Cab drivers advocate for fixed base rates similar to rickshaw meters, regulation of companies like Everest Fleet, and the prevention of unfair outstation trip allocations to private vendors.

They also demand a strong support system during their shifts, a fair investigative process before imposing penalties, and the reinstatement of previous charges for services. Rickshaw pullers call for an immediate halt to platform fees and the calculation of waiting fees based on meters, bridging the affordability gap between cab and rickshaw services.

While gig workers acknowledge that a one-day strike may not bring immediate change, they stress the significance of collective action and urge others to join their efforts for positive transformation in the gig economy

Madhupriya Dhanwate