Kerala Gig workers call for status update

KOCHI: For 39-year-old Sharon (name changed), a Swiggy-Zomato delivery executive from Ernakulam, a delayed restaurant order, a traffic jam or an accident can mean lost earnings, penalties or paying out of pocket.

“We receive incentives only if we complete deliveries within a specific time. However, many restaurants delay orders. We cannot cancel, and end up losing the incentive,” said Sharon. “If we get stuck in traffic beyond the delivery time, alarms keep saying ‘You are delayed.’ The company knows it is raining and even introduces rain surge pricing. Yet the system keeps penalising us,” he said.

Similar stories are echoed by thousands of gig workers across the state, as an ongoing case before the Industrial Tribunal in Thrissur involving Uber India pvt Ltd and Ola is expected to become a benchmark in determining whether platform workers should be recognised as employees with labour rights. The case, which seeks recognition of app-based drivers as employees rather than independent workers, has gained significance after Ola entered appearance before the tribunal, seeking to set aside an ex parte order against it.

According to Supreme Court advocate T R S Kumar, who is representing the gig workers, the core issue before the tribunal is whether Uber drivers should be recognised as employees of the multinational companies operating the platforms. He said Ola’s recent intervention reflects the broader implications of the litigation, which could shape the legal status of gig workers across India.

A Kozhikode native currently working across Ernakulam for gig platforms said officials have largely ignored their challenges. He also claimed there is no guaranteed minimum wage. “When there are fewer riders, the rates go up. When more riders come online, the rates go down. If a customer complains, the company often refunds them immediately and penalises us,” he alleged.