Gig workers are making a loud statement for the final night of the year. As of Wednesday, December 31, 2025, thousands of delivery partners from Zomato, Swiggy, Zepto, Blinkit, and Amazon have logged off their apps in a nationwide “flash strike.”
The thing is, New Year’s Eve is usually the single biggest revenue day for these companies. Or nothing. Let’s be real, while we’re all ordering party snacks and biryani, the people bringing them are at a “breaking point.” Those too.
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The “New Year’s Eve” Ground Reality: Field Notes
This isn’t just a small protest in one city; it’s a coordinated effort by the TGPWU (Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union) and IFAT.
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The Impact: Unions claim that over 1,50,000 riders are participating. In cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, users are already seeing “service unavailable” or 60-minute delivery times.
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The Incentive War: The companies aren’t sitting idle. Zomato and Swiggy are dangling massive “survival bonuses”—offering riders up to ₹6,000 to ₹10,000 just to stay online today and tomorrow. One lucky draw even offers an electric scooter.
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The “10-Minute” Safety Wall: The biggest flashpoint is the 10-minute delivery model. Riders say it’s a “death trap” in India’s traffic. They want it scrapped entirely, citing a recent spike in accidents for those chasing “ultra-fast” targets.
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The “Big Five” Demands
It’s an ongoing situation where the “gig” label is being challenged as a way to dodge basic rights.
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Old Payout System: They want to go back to the 2021-22 rate cards. They claim current algorithms have effectively cut their take-home pay by 30% while fuel costs soared.
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No More “Shadow Ban”: Companies often “block” a rider’s ID based on a single customer complaint or an algorithm glitch. They want a human appeal process.
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End the 10-Min Rush: Workers are demanding a ban on guaranteed ultra-fast delivery times.
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Social Security: They are asking the government to implement the Code on Social Security (2020) which would give them accident insurance and pensions.
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Human Support: No more talking to bots. They want 24/7 human customer support for riders facing on-road issues or customer harassment.
And here’s the kicker: while the government implemented new Labour Codes on November 21, 2025, the actual benefits for gig workers are still stuck in “committee discussions.”
Basically, your pizza might be late tonight, but for the person carrying it, it’s a fight for a “dignified” 2026.
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End…
