The 'ten-minute' timeout: Why your festive orders might be delayed or no-show and why is it necessary

You need to go to your closest grocery store and buy all party essentials you need if you are planning a New Year's party because delivery workers across major Indian platforms, including Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Zepto, Amazon, and Flipkart, have announced a nationwide strike on Wednesday, 31st December. Which means you can not solely rely on last-minute party essential deliveries or food deliveries either. The strike, led by the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT), is intended to coincide with New Year’s Eve, one of the busiest periods for online deliveries.

Union leaders anticipate that over one lakh workers will participate by either logging out of their applications or significantly reducing their workload. The protest follows a similar strike held on Christmas Day, where approximately 40,000 workers participated, reportedly causing a 60% disruption in deliveries across several cities. Major urban centres likely to be affected include Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai (Pune), Hyderabad, and Kolkata.

The strike aims to highlight deteriorating working conditions in the gig economy. Primary grievances include low pay, a lack of job security, and the absence of social security benefits such as accident insurance or health coverage. Workers have also voiced concerns regarding "app-based governance," where opaque algorithms dictate pay rates, incentives, and penalties without prior notice or explanation.

Furthermore, the unions are protesting against ultra-fast delivery models, such as 10-minute promises. They argue that these tight deadlines encourage risky road behaviour and increase the likelihood of accidents. Shaik Salauddin, founder of TGPWU, alleged that companies have previously responded to workers' voices with ID blocking, threats, and algorithmic punishment, describing the situation as "modern-day exploitation."

While Niti Aayog estimates suggest India’s gig economy will grow to 2.35 crore workers by 2030, unions argue that this expansion has not resulted in fair wages or safer conditions. Despite requests for comment, major platform companies have yet to respond to the strike announcement. Consumers are advised to plan their year-end celebrations in advance to avoid potential service disruptions.