New Delhi: The Gig and Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU), India’s first women-led gig workers’ union, has called for a nationwide strike on Diwali (31 October), urging gig workers across the country to switch off their phones and observe a ‘digital silence’.
Through this protest, the union, formed in 2023, aims to raise awareness about the exploitation faced by gig workers, especially women. The initiative calls for collective action against unfair labour practices, including misclassification and biassed ratings that lead to job insecurity.
As part of the protest, the union is demanding recognition of gig workers as employees of platform companies, dignified working conditions, implementation of minimum wages, establishment of grievance redressal mechanism for workers, and acknowledgement of workers’ rights.
In a statement dated 26 October, GIPSWU said that gig workers across India face an ongoing exclusion from fundamental worker entitlements such as minimum wages, health and safety protection, redressal mechanism and social security.
“Recent reports highlight the alarming reality of gig workers facing harassment, discrimination, and even violence while performing their duties. In light of these challenges, GIPSWU’s Digital Strike seeks to unite gig workers and allies in demanding recognition of their rights,” the statement read.
Moreover, the union called upon the central and state governments to regulate employment in the gig economy through labour laws, providing a legal framework for gig workers and protecting their rights.
It also demanded that the government extend social security rights including provident fund, pension scheme, insurance scheme and more. Other requests included extension of the benefits under the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 to gig workers.
Besides turning off their phones on Diwali, the union has also asked the gig workers to share pictures of them and their families with hashtags ‘DigitalStrike’ ‘GIPSWU’ and ‘BlackDiwali’ as a mark of solidarity.
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No Diwali for gig workers
A gig worker from Delhi told ThePrint over the phone that she provides salon services to people by going to their homes in the national capital. She has been associated with the home services firm Urban Company since 2018.
The company itself approached her, she said, promising the freedom to earn through other means as well and work from home at her own convenience.
“They told me that there was no blocking system. I gave it a thought and decided to do it for my kids. I thought it would make my life easier,” she said, adding that she underwent training for seven days.
There, she was introduced to products used by Urban Company and later allegedly asked to buy a kit worth Rs 35,000.
“Some women take a loan to buy the kit while others pay for it right there. It includes disposables, uniforms, bags and more. You can’t use your own disposables for if you do, they tell you that your ID will be blocked. If your rating goes down, your ID gets blocked; if you cancel an appointment with a customer, your ID gets blocked,” she added.
While gig workers have organised many protests over the years against the discrimination and exploitation happening inside organisations, this is the first time a digital strike will be organised, she said.
“We want our voice to reach the government. We said enough to the company but nothing happened. We are not even allowed to enter the company; who do we hold responsible? A proper law should be made.”
“Diwali is a festival for everyone but for us, it is just another day. Can you imagine working hard through the day on a festival and then not getting paid by the end of the day to even have food?” she questioned.
The woman further said that the commission the gig workers pay to these companies is higher than the amount they end up earning. “These companies need to know that those who work for them are being tortured. They don’t care about us.”
Nisha Pawar, a gig worker from Mumbai, told ThePrint that the digital protest is happening to bring the government’s attention to the issues faced by them. “We want the government to listen to us. The companies are making their own rules. This includes many companies, including Urban Company, Zomato, Swiggy, Yes Madam and more.”
Pawar, whose experience as a gig worker has been similar to her counterpart from Delhi, explained that they face common struggles across India.
These include being blocked from working based on low ratings, taking leaves or cancelling orders, she said. “None of us can ever be permanent employees. They call us partners, but we don’t get even the minimum wage. Sometimes, we barely earn Rs 100-150.”
Pawar added that through the digital strike, gig workers want to create awareness among the common people, the companies and the government about the treatment they receive. “How will we even celebrate Diwali? What will we even get if we choose to work on Diwali?” she questioned.
Challenging violence, especially against women
Rikta Krishna Swamy, the coordinator of All India Gig Workers Union (AIGWU)—a union for all food delivery, logistics and service workers who work on any app-based platform—told ThePrint that they face different kinds of issues on platforms, from ratings to cost barriers.
According to a report by the NITI Aayog, the current gig workforce in India is 7.7 million and is expected to expand to 23.5 million by 2029-30.
For women gig workers, she said, negotiation with companies becomes difficult. “Their work is similar to the work that male gig workers do but they have little power to negotiate. Companies leverage this to their benefit.”
GIPSWU president Chandan Kumar highlighted the dual struggles of female workers, who not only endure workplace challenges but also face societal violence.
With a majority of its members being women, the union seeks to demand rights to fair wages and safe working conditions for them.
“We have to talk about our rights, which include the right to association, right to collective bargaining and the right to employment regulation. If I am your employee, you cannot treat me as a slave, you cannot just slash 40 percent of my income,” he said, adding that there is no existing law to prevent exploitation of gig workers.
He also said that the majority of gig workers face some kind of violence at their homes, including divorce or sexual, verbal or physical abuse. Therefore, he said, when these women decide to challenge conservative family structures and violence, they are subject to violence. “These companies are earning billions of dollars by continuing such violence. We have to challenge it,” he asserted.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
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