Online food orders, quick grocery deliveries and last-minute shopping plans could face major disruptions across India on New Year’s Eve, as gig and delivery workers have announced a nationwide strike on Wednesday, 31st December. With 31st December being one of the busiest days of the year for app-based platforms, the protest is expected to hit services at a crucial time.
Workers associated with popular platforms such as Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Zepto, Amazon and Flipkart are likely to participate in the strike. Unions say a large number of delivery partners plan to log off their apps or stop accepting orders, which could lead to delays, cancellations and limited availability of services in several cities.
The strike has been called by the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union along with the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT). It is being supported by regional worker groups in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi-NCR, West Bengal and parts of Tamil Nadu. Together, these unions represent a significant portion of India’s app-based delivery and transport workforce.
“We urge the Hon’ble Centre and State Labour Ministers to urgently act on gig workers’ issues—unfair payouts, unsafe 10-minute delivery models and arbitrary ID blocking. Ahead of the 31 Dec National Strike, convene an immediate meeting with unions and platforms.” pic.twitter.com/Ob81ukv3tq
— Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (@TGPWU) December 28, 2025
Call to shut down apps for a day
The Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) also extended support to the protest. In a public letter, GIPSWU President Seema Singh appealed to gig and platform workers across the country to participate in the strike by switching off all work-related apps on 31st December.
Shaik Salauddin, Founder & President of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU), says, “Our demand to the platform companies was that our old payout structure be reinstated and that the 10-minute delivery option be removed from all platforms… We had called for a strike on the 25th and 31st, and on the 25th, 40 thousand workers across India came out in support of it.”
#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: On gig workers calling out a nationwide strike on 31st December, Shaik Salauddin, Founder & President of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU), says, "Our demand to the platform companies was that our old payout structure be… pic.twitter.com/xBtojh234G
— ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2025
“All gig workers, platform workers, app-based workers and online freelancers are requested to stop work for the day and make the national strike united and effective,” the letter said, stressing the need to stand together for dignity, rights and fair treatment.
Why are gig workers protesting?
According to the unions, delivery partners are under increasing pressure to work longer hours even as their earnings continue to fall. They said that app-based companies impose unsafe delivery targets, especially with ultra-fast delivery models, while offering little job security or respect at the workplace.
In a letter to Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, IFAT said it represents nearly four lakh app-based transport and delivery workers across India. The federation pointed out that workers lack basic social security benefits such as health insurance, accident cover and pensions, despite being a key part of the digital economy.
The unions also raised concerns about arbitrary account deactivations, also known as ID blocking, which they say can happen without explanation or due process, instantly cutting off a worker’s income.
What customers can expect
With the 31st December strike, customers may face slower deliveries or difficulty placing orders, especially during peak hours. Food delivery, grocery orders and last-minute shopping are likely to be affected in major cities such as Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune and Kolkata, as well as several tier-2 cities.
Unions have urged customers to be prepared for delays and have appealed for public support, saying the strike is about long-term fairness and safety for workers.
Demands and calls for government action
In its letter, IFAT called on the government to bring platform companies under proper labour regulation and ban unsafe delivery models that push workers to take risks. It demanded transparent and fair wage systems, an end to arbitrary ID blocking, and guaranteed social security benefits.
The federation has also asked for the protection of workers’ rights to organise and bargain collectively. It has sought immediate government intervention and called for tripartite talks involving the government, platform companies and worker unions.
The letter is signed by IFAT co-founder and national general secretary Shaikh Salauddin and national vice-president Inayath Ali, and has been sent to senior officials in the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
