Gig Workers Launch India-wide Protest On New Year’s Eve

The Indian gig and platform workers union called for a nationwide strike on 31 Dec 2025 demanding a minimum salary of USD 444 a month in place of the current commission-based payment system. They have also asked for regular leaves and basic facilities at workplaces. Nearly 300K workers across the country, including Panjab, responded to the day-long protest called by the Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT). The key demands were to restore the per km wage to USD 0.11 per km, axing the 10-minute delivery option and payment for cancelled orders too. The strike call was to log off from the delivery applications from 7 am to 12 midnight on the 31 Dec. Nirmal Gorana, the general secretary of the Gig & Platform Services Workers Union said that gig workers continued to face systemic exclusion from core labor entitlements such as minimum wage, healthy working conditions, and social security. Om Prakash Raghav, vice-president, Delhi chapter of IFAT said, ‘There was a tremendous success in Delhi. Only 10% out of the 150K strong gig workforce in Delhi worked today. As far as I am aware, they were Zomato delivery agents. By late evening, the firms were even announcing USD 1.66 per delivery for a 3 km distance but it had only a few takers.’ Responding to the strike, Zomato's Chief Executive Officer, Deepinder Goyal shared the financial structure of the gig model on X, saying that if a partner works for 10 hours a day for 26 days a month, the gross earnings translate to USD 294 (approximately). According to Goyal, Zomato and Blinkit spent over USD 10M on insurance premiums for partners in 2025, including accident insurance of USD 11K, medical coverage of USD 1,100, and loss of pay insurance. His remarks were met with criticism by the unions and media who said they were far removed from the actual reality of gig work. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister of Panjab Bhagwant Mann handed over appointment letters to 606 new recruits of the education department, which included 385 special educator teachers, 157 primary teachers, eight principals, and 56 employees recruited on compassionate grounds.