Raising a hard-hitting issue during Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha on Friday, Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha from Punjab demanded immediate government intervention to protect millions of delivery boys who he said are “gig workers”. He also demanded the abolition of the “dangerous” 10-minute delivery model pushed by “quick-commerce platforms.”
Describing delivery executives of Zomato, Swiggy, etc and service partners of Urban Company as the “invisible wheels of the Indian economy”, Chadha said unicorn companies have achieved billion-dollar valuations on the “broken backs and risked lives” of these workers.
“Every time we press a button on our phone -- ‘Your order is on its way’, ‘Your ride has arrived’ -- there is a human being racing against time, jumping red lights, overspeeding, because if he is late by even a minute, his rating drops, incentive is denied, or worse, his ID is blocked,” the Rajya Sabha MP said.
He highlighted three major problems faced by gig workers. The trending 10-minute delivery forces riders to violate traffic rules and risk their lives daily to escape customer harassment and one-star ratings. He said they work 12-14 hours in extreme heat, biting cold, toxic pollution and heavy rain without protective gear in inhuman working conditions.
And, he said, there is a complete absence of social security. There is no permanent employment, no meaningful accident or health insurance, and zero job security. “They hide their pain, insecurity and hopelessness behind a forced smile, hand over your parcel and plead -- ‘Sir, please give a five-star rating’.
They are not robots. They are someone’s father, someone’s husband, someone’s brother, someone’s son,” Chadha said, his voice rising. Demanding immediate thinking, the AAP leader urged the Parliament to at least discuss “the 10-minute delivery pressure” on such gig workers’ right to social security.
“The nation progresses on the sweat of these silent warriors,” he said. In a post on social media, Chadha said, “Zomato & Swiggy delivery boys, Blinkit & Zepto riders, Ola & Uber drivers, Urban Company plumbers and technicians. They deserve dignity, protection and fair pay.”