Gig workers across Maharashtra will halt food deliveries on December 25 in solidarity with Zomato delivery partners protesting in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, demanding fair wages and social security benefits.
The one-day strike has been called by the Gig Workers Union — a Mumbai- and Sambhajinagar-registered union with around 16,000 active members across the state — to press for improved pay and statutory protections for workers employed in the app-based service sector.
Zomato delivery executives in Sambhajinagar have been on an indefinite strike since December 22, alleging poor compensation, lack of social security, and exploitative working conditions. The workers submitted a memorandum of demands to the Divisional Assistant Labour Commissioner, who has taken cognisance of the issue.
Officials from Zomato were summoned for a hearing on December 23 but did not appear. The next hearing has been scheduled for January 1, 2026.
Dr Laxman Aare, General Secretary of the Gig Workers Union and President of the Indian Labour Federation, said delivery rates in Sambhajinagar had fallen sharply over the years. “Seven years ago, workers were paid ₹10 per kilometre. Today, it has dropped to ₹5, even as fuel and living costs have risen,” he said.
Aare said the union had submitted 12 demands to the labour commissioner, including payment for pickup trips, compensation for return journeys, abolition of penalties imposed for delays or accidents, and an end to rating-based harassment. He added that incentives were offered only after 11 pm, “when most shops are closed”.
On November 28, the unions had staged ‘Black Friday’ protests urging the Maharashtra government to regulate app-based platforms, Aare said.
Among the key demands are a government-mandated minimum rate of ₹15 per kilometre, guaranteed minimum wages, and coverage under Provident Fund (PF), Employees’ State Insurance (ESI), and health insurance schemes. The union has also sought regulation of working hours, mandatory rest periods, and legal recognition and protection for gig workers.
Aare estimated that between 2 lakh and 2.5 lakh workers from cities including Mumbai, Pune, Nashik and Nagpur would participate in the strike.
The protest has received support from a coalition of labour organisations, including the Platform App-Based and Other Commerce Workers Union, Janpahal General Workers Union, Indian Labour Federation, and Amazon India Labour Union.
Shankar Thakkar, National Minister of the Confederation of All Traders (CAT) and President of the All India Food Oil Traders Federation, also extended solidarity. “Companies exploiting delivery workers must be held accountable,” he said.
The strike is expected to disrupt food deliveries across major platforms, highlighting growing unrest within India’s rapidly expanding but lightly regulated gig economy workforce.