"Over two lakh gig workers log off nationwide in New Year’s Eve strike", 1 Jan 2026

Workers’ unions estimated that over two lakh workers participated in the strike, logging out of their apps from 7 am until midnight.

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In a thumping success, a nationwide strike by gig workers on New Year’s Eve saw between one and three lakh workers log off aggregator platforms across India. The protest was organised to press for social security benefits, assured wages, and comprehensive labour protections for platform workers. Workers’ unions estimated that over two lakh workers participated in the strike, logging out of their apps from 7 am until midnight. The action followed a similar but smaller protest on Christmas Eve. National unions, including the Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT) and the Gig and Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU), called for the strike to highlight long-standing demands for workers’ rights. Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) chief Shaik Salauddin described the strike as a significant achievement. “Consider how much ad power, PR power, corporate power, and mainstream power we had against us. Workers were still able to organise and protest for their demands in the face of such forces. It is no small feat,” he said. “More than two lakh gig workers participated in the strike with us,” he told TNM. Gig and Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) national coordinator Nirmal Gorana also estimated participation at over one lakh workers. “All our organisations stood together in this struggle. We did not stop anyone from working if they wished, workers participated voluntarily,” he said. Key demands included the implementation of labour laws for platform workers; the removal of the 10-minute delivery system; provisions for emergency and maternity leave; a minimum monthly wage of Rs 40,000; access to social security benefits; replacement of AI-based customer support with human grievance redressal mechanisms; legal recognition of gig workers as ‘workers’ rather than ‘partners’; protection of the right to organise; and the removal of penalties imposed for delivery delays. In the lead-up to the strike, aggregator platforms attempted to incentivise workers to remain online during the high-demand period. Without directly acknowledging the strike, companies rolled out promotional schemes and rewards. Zomato advertised chances to win Rs 6,000 for delivery executives working during peak hours, while Swiggy promoted rewards such as electric vehicles for top-performing workers.