Zomato, Swiggy Hike Payouts to Gig Workers on New Year’s Eve Amid Strike Calls

New Delhi: Food delivery platforms Zomato and Swiggy on Tuesday increased payouts and incentives for their delivery partners on New Year’s Eve, even as gig worker unions gave a call for a nationwide strike demanding better pay and social security benefits.

According to media reports, the move was aimed at ensuring smooth operations on one of the busiest days of the year for food delivery services, when order volumes surge sharply due to celebrations and late-night demand.

Nationwide strike call

Several unions representing app-based delivery and ride-hailing workers had announced a nationwide protest on December 31, reiterating their demands, which include minimum wage guarantees, accident insurance, health coverage, and clearer incentive structures. They alleged that existing payout mechanisms were unpredictable and insufficient to cover rising fuel and living costs.

What the companies said

Zomato said it has enhanced per-order payouts and introduced additional incentives during peak hours to improve earning opportunities for delivery partners. Swiggy also rolled out higher incentives for partners who logged in and completed orders on New Year’s Eve.

Commenting on the incentives, Swiggy said the enhanced payouts were part of its standard practice during periods of high demand. “At Swiggy, we are committed to empowering our delivery partners. As part of our standard process, enhanced incentives are offered on special occasions such as festivals, allowing delivery partners to benefit from increased earning opportunities during peak demand periods across the year”, the company said.

Impact on deliveries

Despite the strike call, both platforms reported that deliveries remained largely unaffected in most parts of the country, with adequate availability of delivery partners. Company officials indicated that many delivery workers chose to work due to the increased earnings potential on New Year’s Eve.

What workers want

The strike call was part of a broader protest by app-based delivery and ride-hailing workers across India, seeking stronger labour protections and enforcement of social security provisions under the proposed gig and platform worker regulations.

While the platforms maintained that they are continuously engaging with delivery partners and improving earning transparency, unions said protests would continue until concrete policy-level changes are implemented.

New Year’s Eve is traditionally one of the most lucrative days for food delivery platforms, driven by parties, gatherings, and late-night orders, making uninterrupted services a key priority for companies operating in the sector.

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