50K gig workers strike nationwide on New Year's Eve
On December 31, about 50,000 gig workers in Hyderabad joined a nationwide flash strike, intended to disrupt food deliveries during the New Year's Eve rush, though reports on its actual impact were mixed.
The protest, led by the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU), is aimed at big delivery apps like Zomato and Swiggy over pay and working conditions.
What's behind the strike?
Workers are asking for five things: bring back the old payout system, scrap the 10-minute delivery rule, make ID blocking more transparent, fix how incentives are given out, and offer social security like insurance.
This isn't their first protest—just last week they logged off in huge numbers but didn't see any changes or real talks from the companies.
How did platforms react?
Swiggy bumped up incentives to ₹10,000 for New Year's Eve, while Zomato offered up to ₹3,000 per day, but both said it was just their usual holiday policy.
Many workers still stayed offline.
TGPWU president Shaik Salauddin shared that over 1.7 lakh gig workers across India took part this time—showing they're serious about fair treatment in the gig economy.