Gig workers skip New Year's Eve strike for incentives
On New Year's Eve, gig workers across India were called to strike against Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto, Blinkit, Amazon, and Flipkart—asking for better pay and safer conditions.
But most skipped the protest when the platforms dangled big incentives instead.
Zomato's CEO even shared that Zomato and Blinkit together delivered 7.5 million orders by 450,000 partners that night alone.
Why did workers want to strike?
Many delivery partners say their base pay has dropped from ₹60 to just ₹15 per order this year—and they're still covering fuel and repairs themselves.
They're also pushing back against risky "10-minute delivery" targets and want basics like health insurance or accident coverage.
Why did the strike fizzle out?
Platforms countered with tempting payouts: Zomato offered up to ₹3,000 in one night; Swiggy promised as much as ₹10,000 over two days.
With those kinds of earnings on offer during peak hours, many workers chose cash over protest.
It's a clear sign of how tough things are for gig workers—caught between shrinking paychecks and the need to make ends meet right now.