Among the main demands from the union are: Regulation of platform companies under labour laws; Ban on 10-minute delivery model, End to arbitrary ID blocking and other penalties; Fair and transparent wages; improved social security; and protection of right to organise and collectively bargain. Karnataka App-based Workers Union, along with other unions, has also written to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in this regard.
A common concern among gig workers remains the rising number of penalties imposed by aggregator platforms.
“It could be an error by the restaurant or the customer, but we are the ones who bear the brunt of it. If the restaurant delays the order preparation, the customers raise a complaint against us, and if a customer delays picking up the order and is unresponsive, our time is wasted, but the customer is not held responsible. We are penalised for every delay,” said Salauddin, a 49-year-old delivery driver who plans to join in on the protest on Wednesday.