Several gig worker unions claimed that their agitation focussed on issues such as alleged exploitation by ride-hailing platforms like Ola, Uber and Rapido.
On Tuesday, July 15, Uber and Ola drivers, as well as other gig workers, staged a flash protest in Mumbai, demanding faster implementation of the aggregator policy for app-based taxis and pay parity with regular taxi drivers. The protests have continued for three days.
The current protests have highlighted the increasing difficulties of workers in the platform economy. And with costs rising, competition intense and help scarce, drivers are speaking up for a better deal.
As per the Hindustan Times report, several gig worker unions claimed that their agitation focussed on issues such as alleged exploitation by ride-hailing platforms like Ola, Uber and Rapido as well as the government’s crackdown on illegal bike taxis among other important concerns.
The protest was joined by members of associations such as Indian Gig Workers Platform, Maharashtra State National Workers Union-App-based Transport Unit, Mumbai Taximen Union and others.
“The app-based aggregator drivers get INR 8 to INR 12 per km for driving an AC taxi while the base fare of kaali peelis (regular cabs) is INR 31, with a subsequent fare of INR 18 per km… We want similar fares. We have been demanding this for the last seven or eight years but nothing has happened,”
a representative of the Maharashtra Rajya Rashtriya Kamgar Sangh reportedly said.
Meanwhile, president of Maharashtra Gig Workers Platform, Keshav Nana Kshirsagar, reportedly said that the protest would continue as no consensus had been reached with the state government regarding redressal of their demands.
“Many of us in the gig economy, and particularly the ride-hail industry, are left with virtually no safety net in times of crisis. This protest illustrates that a comprehensive solution which takes account of drivers and ensures fair competition still needs to be found,”
said one urban transport expert.
Amid all this, commuters faced inconvenience as many cab drivers declined rides. With fewer cabs plying on the roads, commuters had to pay surge pricing on many of the platforms.
India has previously witnessed protests and strikes by workers in the e-commerce and gig economy sectors. In 2020, delivery partners of the food delivery service Swiggy staged protests in Chennai, demanding higher pay and transparent incentive policies. Zomato, another food delivery giant, faced delivery partner strikes in 2019 over reduced payouts.
Source: Hindustan Times
