Ola, Uber, Swiggy, Zomato services hit as gig workers stage nationwide strike

Ola, Uber, Swiggy and Zomato are staging a coordinated nationwide strike today, leading to significant disruptions in ride-hailing and delivery services in major cities. The action, termed an “All-India Breakdown,” has seen drivers and delivery partners go offline for several hours to press demands for fairer pay, minimum fares, and stronger regulatory protections.

Organised by the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) alongside the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT), the protest targets both platform companies and government inaction on worker grievances. The unions insist that, despite the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, minimum base fares have not been notified, allowing platforms to unilaterally set pricing and incentive schemes that workers say have eroded earnings and job security. 

Workers’ core demands

• Immediate government notification of minimum base fares for ride-hailing and delivery services.
  

• Transparent fare calculations and mandatory consultations with recognised worker unions.
  

• Stricter enforcement of commercial vehicle norms to prevent the misuse of private vehicles as commercial assets.
  Company Responses

While Ola, Uber, Swiggy and Zomato have not issued unified public statements detailing specific concessions in response to today’s strike, industry representatives typically frame such disruptions as temporary and emphasise ongoing dialogue with stakeholders. Individual platforms often reiterate commitments to safety and earnings stability while highlighting efforts to support gig workers with incentive programmes, flexible working options, and safety features, though critics say these fall short of structural reforms.

Government reaction

Central and state authorities have so far responded with warnings to commuters and calls for calm, urging travellers to plan alternative transport amid reduced ride availability. Union representatives have written to the Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, pressing ministers to enforce existing guidelines and engage with worker leaders on a regulatory framework that ensures fair compensation and protections.

In some states, policymakers have earlier hinted at broader labour reforms for the gig economy, acknowledging the sector’s rapid growth and the need for new social security norms, though details remain under discussion and no immediate regulatory actions have been announced.

Commuters reported longer wait times for rides and slower food deliveries in several metros this morning.

Analysts note that as India’s gig economy expands, employing millions of drivers and delivery partners, tensions over pay, rights and regulation may intensify unless both industry and regulators find sustainable solutions.

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