New Year’s Eve strike: Zomato, Swiggy announce higher payouts for delivery workers during peak hours
The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers' Union (TGPWU) and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) said lakhs of delivery and app-based workers are expected to participate in the strike.
- Dec 31, 2025,
- Updated Dec 31, 2025 2:12 PM IST
Online food delivery platforms Zomato and Swiggy have announced higher payouts for delivery workers on New Year’s Eve amid a nationwide strike call by gig workers’ unions, PTI reported.
The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers' Union (TGPWU) and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) said lakhs of delivery and app-based workers are expected to participate in the strike.
Industry sources said the strike could disrupt services of food delivery and quick commerce platforms such as Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto on December 31, one of the busiest days of the year for the sector.
Zomato has offered delivery partners payouts of Rs 120 to Rs 150 per order during peak hours between 6 pm and 12 am on New Year’s Eve. The company has also said delivery partners can earn up to Rs 3,000 during the day, depending on order volumes and worker availability, people familiar with the matter said.
The platform has also waived penalties on order denials and cancellations for the day, they added, calling it a standard practice during high-demand festive periods.
“This is part of our standard annual operating protocol during festive periods, which typically see higher earning opportunities due to increased demand,” an Eternal spokesperson told PTI. Eternal owns Zomato and Blinkit.
Swiggy has also increased incentives during the year-end period. Delivery partners can earn up to Rs 10,000 across December 31 and January 1, according to people aware of the matter.
For New Year’s Eve, Swiggy is offering peak-hour earnings of up to Rs 2,000 for the six-hour period between 6 pm and 12 am to ensure sufficient rider availability, they said.
In a joint statement, TGPWU and IFAT said, “As of last night, over 1.7 lakh delivery and app-based workers across India have confirmed participation, with numbers expected to rise further by evening”.
The unions said the strike follows a December 25 protest in which thousands of delivery workers logged off platforms across Telangana and other regions. They said the protest was escalated after companies failed to respond to workers’ demands.
“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 continued indifference has made today's strike unavoidable,” the statement said.
The Gig and Platform Service Workers Union has also announced a nationwide strike on December 31, 2025.
“All gig workers, platform workers, digital platform workers, app-based workers, and online freelancers are earnestly requested to participate in the national strike by shutting down all work-related applications and abstaining from providing services on December 31, 2025, thereby making the strike united and effective,” it said.
(With inputs from PTI)
Online food delivery platforms Zomato and Swiggy have announced higher payouts for delivery workers on New Year’s Eve amid a nationwide strike call by gig workers’ unions, PTI reported.
The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers' Union (TGPWU) and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) said lakhs of delivery and app-based workers are expected to participate in the strike.
Industry sources said the strike could disrupt services of food delivery and quick commerce platforms such as Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto on December 31, one of the busiest days of the year for the sector.
Zomato has offered delivery partners payouts of Rs 120 to Rs 150 per order during peak hours between 6 pm and 12 am on New Year’s Eve. The company has also said delivery partners can earn up to Rs 3,000 during the day, depending on order volumes and worker availability, people familiar with the matter said.
The platform has also waived penalties on order denials and cancellations for the day, they added, calling it a standard practice during high-demand festive periods.
“This is part of our standard annual operating protocol during festive periods, which typically see higher earning opportunities due to increased demand,” an Eternal spokesperson told PTI. Eternal owns Zomato and Blinkit.
Swiggy has also increased incentives during the year-end period. Delivery partners can earn up to Rs 10,000 across December 31 and January 1, according to people aware of the matter.
For New Year’s Eve, Swiggy is offering peak-hour earnings of up to Rs 2,000 for the six-hour period between 6 pm and 12 am to ensure sufficient rider availability, they said.
In a joint statement, TGPWU and IFAT said, “As of last night, over 1.7 lakh delivery and app-based workers across India have confirmed participation, with numbers expected to rise further by evening”.
The unions said the strike follows a December 25 protest in which thousands of delivery workers logged off platforms across Telangana and other regions. They said the protest was escalated after companies failed to respond to workers’ demands.
“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 continued indifference has made today's strike unavoidable,” the statement said.
The Gig and Platform Service Workers Union has also announced a nationwide strike on December 31, 2025.
“All gig workers, platform workers, digital platform workers, app-based workers, and online freelancers are earnestly requested to participate in the national strike by shutting down all work-related applications and abstaining from providing services on December 31, 2025, thereby making the strike united and effective,” it said.
(With inputs from PTI)