Food-grocery deliveries could be halted on New Year's Eve: Gig workers across the country go on strike today; Demand for Rs 20 per km and Rs 40,000 fixed salary

On the last day of the year, i.e. December 31, those who order food online or order groceries may face difficulties. Gig workers (delivery and taxi drivers) across the country have announced a nationwide strike today. Workers' unions allege that app-based companies are exploiting them and depriving them of basic legal rights. The Gig and Platform Services Workers Union (GIPSWU) has written a letter to Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya seeking his immediate intervention in the matter. The union has warned that if their demands are not addressed, it will also affect the growth of the country's economy. Earlier on December 25, delivery workers had also gone on a symbolic strike. The strike has received support from organisations from several states, including Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal and Delhi-NCR. Tonight, on New Year's Eve, when the demand for food and groceries is at its highest, delivery riders ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh can be logged out of the app. Its impact will be felt most in big cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Kolkata. The biggest reason behind the strike is the pressure of work and the decline in earnings. The union has demanded that the pressure to deliver within 10 to 20 minutes be put to an end immediately. Workers say that delivering in such a short time means that we drive faster, which always poses a risk of road accidents. Apart from this, workers associated with companies like Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Zepto and Flipkart have demanded a rate of Rs 20 per km. Stop blocking 40,000 fixed salaries and IDs Gig workers have submitted a charter of their demands to the government, which includes: 'Modern exploitation' threatens to raise their voice Sheikh Salahuddin, founder president of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU), says that whenever workers raise their voice, Then the companies block their IDs or threaten the police. He described it as a "modern-day exploitation". According to Salahuddin, platform companies need to be regulated so that workers can get respect and protection.