No Zomato, Swiggy Today? App-Based Gig Workers Launch 5-Hour Nationwide Strike As Fuel Costs Soar

New Delhi: With rising inflation already squeezing profit margins and a dedicated central law for gig workers' rights still pending, the steep fuel price hike is set to directly hit India's 12 million-strong gig workforce.

Warning of widespread distress and a potential exodus of workforce, the Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) has demanded an immediate hike in per-kilometer payout rates from both the government and major aggregators to offset steep fuel price increase.

In a protest against soaring fuel prices and stagnant payout structures, gig workers have called for a temporary nationwide strike today (May 16), urging app-based delivery partners and drivers to halt all services between 12 pm and 5 pm.

Backing the strike, the Gig and Platform Services Workers Union (GIPSWU) called on drivers and delivery partners to join the log-out, arguing that skyrocketing fuel costs have severely eroded their earnings despite grueling work shifts.

Taking to social media platform X, the union wrote, “GIPSWU appeals to gig & platform workers across India to observe a temporary shutdown of app-based services tomorrow from 12 pm to 5 pm in protest against rising fuel prices and inadequate payment rates.”

Why the strike?

The strike follows after India's oil marketing companies raised petrol and diesel prices by around ₹3 per litre. 

The adjustment pushes Delhi's petrol prices to about ₹97.77 per litre and diesel to ₹90.67. 

The steep hike is a direct result of surging global crude oil prices, triggered by escalating Middle East tensions involving Iran and trade bottlenecks around the Strait of Hormuz. For everyday citizens, the fuel price spike compounds the financial pressure left by earlier hikes in LPG cylinder costs.

What Union President said?

Union President Seema Singh described the hike as a "direct blow" to gig workers already battling severe heatwave conditions. "Delivery workers for Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit and others simply cannot bear this," she said, urging the government and companies to declare a minimum service rate of Rs 20 per kilometre. She warned that without relief, many workers may be forced to leave the sector.

Emphasizing the severity of the crisis, National Coordinator Nirmal Gorana pointed out that India's 1.2 crore gig and platform workers, who form a crucial part of the nearly 60-crore unorganised workforce, are bearing the brunt of the situation. Because these workers depend entirely on two-wheelers for their daily income, they are heavily impacted by soaring fuel, maintenance, and operating expenses that tech platforms have failed to match with higher payouts.

Difficult to make ends meet

As surging fuel costs put a massive squeeze on their take-home pay, gig workers are pushing back. Through Saturday’s temporary strike, they intend to spotlight how the combination of rising daily expenses and low corporate payouts is making it nearly impossible to make ends meet.