Gig Worker Strike Halts Swiggy, Zomato, Amazon, Blinkit Deliveries Across India

Delivery Services Crippled as Gig Workers Strike for Fair Pay and Safety.

On Wednesday, December 31, 2025, delivery services across India are facing widespread disruption as thousands of delivery partners from major platforms including Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit, Zepto, Amazon, and Flipkart have launched a nationwide strike, coinciding with New Year’s Eve, one of the busiest days for the gig economy.

The protest, led by the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT), highlights growing tensions between the ultra-fast delivery business model and worker welfare, with key grievances including the pressure of 10-minute delivery targets, declining earnings despite 10–15 hour workdays, opaque algorithmic control over incentives and account blocks, and lack of social security measures such as accident insurance, health coverage, and pensions.

The unions have formally submitted a demand charter to the Union Labour Ministry seeking a guaranteed minimum monthly income of Rs.24,000–Rs.40,000, fair per-kilometer rates of at least Rs.20, suspension of the 10-minute delivery mandate, and 24/7 human grievance support to replace automated systems.

Consumers are already feeling the impact, with long delays of 60–120 minutes in major cities, temporary service outages in certain areas, and higher delivery fees due to platforms offering surge incentives to attract riders back, underscoring the immediate consequences of labour unrest in India’s booming app-based delivery ecosystem.