As New Year’s Eve plans fall into place, many people are already checking food and grocery apps to sort out last-minute orders. But this year, December 31 comes with a big caveat. A nationwide gig workers’ strike is underway and it is likely to disrupt food delivery and quick-commerce services just when demand peaks. (Photo: Pexels)
As the strike plays out through the day, users should be prepared for patchy service across platforms. Food and grocery orders on Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit, Zepto and Instamart may slow down or stop altogether especially during the evening hours. (Photo: Pexels)
At the centre of the protest is opposition to the 10-minute delivery model which workers say pushes them into unsafe working conditions. Along with this, unions are demanding regulation of platform companies under labour laws, an end to arbitrary ID blocking, fair and transparent wages, better social security and protection of the right to organise and collectively bargain. (Photo: Canva AI)
While the action is nationwide, its impact won’t be the same everywhere. Big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad and Kolkata are expected to see noticeable disruptions. During a similar strike on December 25, cities such as Bengaluru and Pune saw major service drops while parts of Delhi-NCR reported long delivery delays. (Photo: Freepik)