Quick delivery apps are taking a toll on gig workers

UPSC Syllabus : GS Paper 3 – Indian Economy – Issues related to growth and employment

Introduction

Quick delivery apps are taking a toll on gig workers because the 10-minute promise turns time into the main product and pushes risk onto workers. In India’s megacities, this model scales fast due to low labour costs, high unemployment, and an abundant supply of young workers. The outcome is instant convenience for consumers, but rising safety, wage, and dignity costs for riders and dark-store pickers.

How the 10-Minute Delivery Model Works

1. Speed-first promise: Platforms sell groceries, meals, and daily essentials through a strict ten-minute delivery commitment, so speed becomes the core competition.
   2. Dark stores and last-mile sprint: Orders are picked quickly in dark stores and then handed to riders, so the final stretch becomes a race against the timer.
   3. Risk shifts to workers: Unlike planned logistics where risk is spread across inventory planning and scheduling, this model concentrates pressure on the rider and the picker.
   4. Algorithm decides work: Opaque ratings, automated penalties, and unpredictable task allocation control the workday, so workers have less control over pace and income.
   5. Targets enforce discipline: Missing performance targets can lead to workers being sent home without pay, often with no explanation or grievance option.
   6. Long hours to survive: To chase bonuses and maintain ratings, riders can face extreme shifts, with reported workdays stretching up to 16 hours.

Major Concerns Related to the 10-Minute Delivery Model

1. Unsafe delivery conditions: Short delivery timelines force riders to rush. This increases accidents, injuries, and unsafe driving practices.
2. Excessive working hours: To earn enough, riders often work very long days. Some shifts extend up to sixteen hours.
3. Low and unstable earnings: Workers earn per order with small bonuses linked to ratings. These earnings are often insufficient in large cities.
4. Wage penalties without explanation: There are reports of workers being sent home without pay for missing targets. Clear reasons are rarely provided.
5. Absence of grievance mechanisms: Workers lack proper systems to challenge penalties or decisions. Most actions are final and automated.
6. Arbitrary account deactivations: Apps can block worker IDs without notice. This instantly cuts income and creates fear among workers.
7. Poor conditions at dark stores: Basic facilities like drinking water, rest areas, and toilets are often missing. Workers spend long hours without support.

Gaps in Legal and Institutional Protection

• Partial recognition under labour codes: New labour codes recognise gig and platform workers. However, they do not address speed-based delivery pressure.
• Lack of social security coverage: Many workers lack health insurance, accident coverage, and pension benefits. Support remains voluntary, not guaranteed.
• Weak bargaining power: Independent contractor status limits collective bargaining. Workers negotiate individually against large platforms.

Workers’ Protests and Collective Response

1. Nationwide offline call: Gig delivery workers plan to go offline on New Year’s Eve (31 December) to protest working conditions across major platforms.
   2. Earlier walkout impact: A similar Christmas Day strike caused delivery delays of 50%–60% in several locations, showing how dependent cities are on gig labour.
   3. Scale and organisers: Around 40,000 delivery workers are estimated to have joined the Christmas Day strike, organised by Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union (TGPWU) and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT).

What Should Be Done?

1. Drop ultra-short timelines: Remove the 10-minute promise so that delivery is planned around safety rather than fear of penalties.
   2. Set minimum guaranteed pay: Ensure a basic wage floor so workers are not forced into risky speed just to earn enough orders.
   3. Provide insurance and medical cover: Make accident insurance and medical coverage standard, because the model creates higher physical risk.
   4. Stop arbitrary deactivations: Require clear rules and due process before ID blocking, since access to the app is the worker’s livelihood.
   5. Build real grievance redressal: Put transparent, responsive grievance systems in place so workers can challenge penalties and unfair treatment.
   6. Regulate hours and breaks: Enforce regulated work hours and mandatory breaks so the system does not normalise exhaustion.
   7. Match recognition with protection: Labour code recognition should translate into protections that directly address speed-driven risk and harsh app control.

Conclusion

The 10-minute delivery model turns urgency into a business plan and shifts danger onto riders and pickers. It also weakens planning and promotes instant buying habits. Home delivery is useful, but extreme speed is not necessary. Without accountability, the cost spreads to society. Safer timelines, minimum wages, insurance, regulated hours, and transparent grievance systems must come first.

Question for practice:

Discuss how the 10-minute delivery model shifts risk onto gig workers and why workers are demanding changes in pay, safety, and grievance systems.

Source: Businessline