Christmas, New Year Eve Strikes Yielded Success: Gig Workers' Union Chief On 10-Minute Delivery Ban
The TWGPU founder also dismissed the claims this move from the ministry would impede job creation and affect the demand for gig workers.
The labour ministry's directive to strike down the '10-minute delivery' feature for quick-commerce companies is a welcome step, according to Sheikh Salauddin, general secretary of Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers.
Salauddin, who is also the founder and president of Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union, called the move a victory for the gig and platform workers who had joined the strike on Christmas and New Year's Eve to protest against unfavourable working conditions.
Both organisations were largely involved in organising and executing the strikes. "This shows the strength of the workers and the workers' voice," Salauddin said in a conversation with NDTV Profit.
"As general secretary and president, my duties are to each of the platform companies and the government. Thanks so much to the labour minister for listening to our voice," he added.
Salauddin also stated that the unions were consulting with workers "back-to-back" and soliciting their opinions and inputs regarding the ministry's proposal for a 90-day annual work threshold as the mandatory eligibility criteria for gig and platform workers to access social security. This comes under the new draft rules on the Social Security Code 2020, published on Dec. 31.
"As soon as we have the inputs, we'll update it on all the electronic and print media," Salauddin said.
The TWGPU founder also dismissed the claims this move from the ministry would impede job creation and affect the demand for gig workers.
"Who is the job creator? The government is the job creator, the responsibility should be for the government," he said. "'Agar Deepinder Goyal job creator hain, toh government kya hai?' (If Deepinder Goyal is a job creator, then what is the government?)," he added.
He also stated that this did not amount to healthy competition for markets. Salauddin further noted that consumers were also exercising social responsibility and calling for the safety and security of gig workers.
The IFAT secretary stated that it was quick commerce firms' jobs to come up with discounts to customers rather than ensuring delivery within 10 minutes.
