Reality Check! Is Nationwide Gig Worker Strike Happening Today? On-Ground Reports Mixed
While services are not entirely halted, noticeable delays and reduced availability suggest that the disruption is happening sporadically.
As reports of a nationwide gig worker strike circulate on New Year’s Eve, consumers are experiencing a mixed response on their food and grocery delivery apps. While services are not entirely halted, noticeable delays and reduced availability suggest that the disruption is happening sporadically.
In Mumbai, Ali was not able to buy groceries from Swiggy Instamart but Zepto Cafe delivered food delivery orders. The case was the same with Abhishek, a resident of Mumbai. "I ordered Mac and Cheese for my colleagues. The parcel was delivered but it did take some more time than usual," he said.
In Hyderabad, residents said the change is visible on the streets. "Usually we see a lot of delivery boys scurrying," said Swathi Prabhu from Hi-Tech City, noting that the city feels unusually calmer for a day known for peak delivery traffic but Miral who resides in the other part of city said that, "deliveries are happening in the area."
In Greater Noida, the experience is more nuanced. Ankita, a 31-year-old resident said, "Not sure if it's a blanket strike because we can still place orders on Blinkit, Zomato. But it is taking too long to finalise a delivery partner."
Blinkit operations are running smoothly across Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida, Greater Noida West, Gurugram, and Faridabad. The delivery time is reported between 9-12 mins on an average, according to another NCR resident Daanish Anand.
Blinkit operations are running smoothly across Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida, Greater Noida West, Gurugram, and Faridabad
No disruptions were noted in Bengaluru, Pune and a large part of Mumbai. Delivery timelines across India’s quick commerce and food delivery platforms are expected to be disrupted today after gig and platform workers announced their second all-India strike for New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31.
The first strike took place on Christmas, Dec 25. Delivery partners from Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Zepto, and Flipkart BigBasket have participated. The strike has been called by the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers.
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Why Are Gig Workers Protesting?
The human cost of the digital delivery boom has remained under the spotlight during 2025, with debates on gig labour welfare and road safety, especially under the 10-minute delivery pressure model, gaining momentum. The union has demanded legal recognition of platform workers as 'workers' under labour laws, not 'partners'.
Other demands include:
Call to stop arbitrary ID blocking, punitive ratings and algorithm-based penalties.
Union demands abolition of peak-hour pressure, slot systems and weekend hour caps.
Workers seek cap on platform deductions at 20%, protest auto-advance credit recoveries.
Demand compensation for customer cancellations and removal from performance metrics.
Extending delivery timelines, and replacing AI support with 24/7 human grievance redressal.
