Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto increase delivery incentives amid gig workers' strike
What's the story
Swiggy and Zomato have increased their delivery incentives during peak hours and year-end days. The move comes as part of an effort to stabilize operations amid a nationwide strike by gig and platform workers. The strike was called by delivery worker unions on December 25 and 31 over issues like pay, working conditions, and social security.
Incentive details
Zomato's incentive structure for delivery partners
Zomato has announced a payout of ₹120-150 per order during peak hours from 6:00pm to midnight. The platform also promises earnings of up to ₹3,000 a day, depending on order volumes and availability. Further, Zomato has waived penalties on order denials and cancellations temporarily, a move that delivery workers say minimizes income loss during uneven demand periods.
Incentive increase
Swiggy's year-end incentive boost
Swiggy has also raised incentives for the year-end period. The platform is offering delivery workers earnings of up to ₹10,000 across December 31 and January 1. On New Year's Eve, Swiggy is promising peak-hour earnings of up to ₹2,000 from 6:00pm to midnight. This move is aimed at ensuring rider availability during one of the busiest ordering windows of the year.
Industry response
Quick commerce platforms follow suit
Quick commerce player Zepto has also increased incentives for delivery workers. This move is in line with platforms across food delivery and instant commerce trying to minimize disruption during the strike period and the year-end surge in demand. The decision comes after localized disruptions during the December 25 strike, especially in food delivery, even as platforms said operations stabilized later in the day.
Worker demands
Gig workers' demands and potential impact of strike
The union has demanded a guaranteed minimum monthly earning of ₹40,000, abolition of peak hours, slot systems and weekend hour limits. They also seek compensation for workers in cases of customer-initiated cancellations. The action comes after a Christmas Day strike on December 25 that saw around 40,000 delivery workers participate. This led to major disruptions in deliveries across Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto in several cities during peak windows before services stabilized later in the day.