"Gig work heats up, disaster body steps in with advisory"

Suresh Kumar Singh (name changed), 46, worked with a quick commerce company in Varanasi until his account was blocked by the company in retaliation for participating in a protest…150 gig workers, including Singh, went on strike, demanding heat safety measures and fair pay. The company blocked the accounts of all the 150 protestors. Eventually, about 125 of the delivery partner accounts were reinstated. But many, like Singh…is still hoping to get back onto the platform and receive delivery orders, are still waiting.

Singh, a migrant from Saran district in Bihar and father of two children, says…“We were forced to work during the peak heat wave. We were requesting to reduce the workload or increase the rate.”…Rejecting orders can lead to a drop in ranking which in turn gets them fewer orders. In certain cases, they are even penalised... The workers have been protesting to ease these systems or provide a higher pay for working during peak heat hours…

…demands that includes the end of mandatory work assignments between 12 noon and 4 pm during periods of extreme heat, provision of shaded waiting areas with adequate seating, drinking water, and fans, provision of cotton uniforms and heat protection measures for the summer, and many others related to better payment and rights-based issues...have also filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)...