Telangana gig workers call Dec 31 log-off over pay and safety
HYDERABAD:Following the December 25 walkout, which saw thousands of delivery workers across Telangana log off en masse, gig workers have now called for an even bigger statewide strike on December 31, 2025. By last night, more than 1.7 lakh delivery and app-based workers had pledged to join, with numbers expected to rise further by evening.
Shaik Salauddin, Founder President, Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union (TGPWU), said, “The December 25 action sent a clear warning to platform companies about falling earnings, unsafe delivery pressure, and loss of dignity at work. However, companies responded with silence, no rollback of reduced payouts, no dialogue with workers, and no concrete assurances on safety or working hours. This indifference has made today’s strike unavoidable”.
In a last-minute move, Zomato circulated an internal notification (screenshot attached) claiming delivery partners will not face trouble on December 31 and offering earnings up to ₹3,000. Workers see this as propaganda to weaken the strike, not a real solution to ongoing pay cuts and unsafe work pressure.
At the same time, platform companies are rolling out celebrity-backed advertisements to distract workers and break unity. These glossy campaigns cannot hide the reality on the ground.
Key issues raised by workers include continuous reduction in per-order payouts, dilution of distance- and time-based compensation, arbitrary and changing incentives, and extreme pressure from 10-minute delivery models, leading to accidents, injuries, and mental stress.
Shaik Salauddin stated, “So-called ‘flexibility’ actually forces workers, including students, to work 8 to 10 hours due to unrealistic targets and penalties for breaks or logging out.”
He added that there is no social or economic justification for hyper-speed deliveries, and that human lives should not be compromised for corporate competition or consumer convenience.
On December 31, workers plan to log off from all platforms and participate in peaceful demonstrations at key locations. They will collectively demand fair pay, safety, dignity, and government regulation.
Salauddin added that the strike is peaceful and democratic, led by workers through the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union (TGPWU). The demands are directed at platform companies and state and central governments, urging the urgent regulation of the gig economy.
Shaik Salauddin said, “No advertisement can hide falling pay. No celebrity can erase unsafe conditions. No PR campaign can replace fair wages, safety, and dignity. When companies replace dialogue with bouncers and threats, it exposes fear, not strength”.
