On Friday, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha demanded that the 10-minute delivery services by various quick commerce platforms be terminated.
Chadha termed the fast services as “cruelty” towards gig workers who even risk their lives to meet the deadlines under extreme pressure.
“I want to tell you that these people are not robots. They are also someone’s father, husband, brother, or son. The House should think about them. And the cruelty of this 10-minute delivery should end,” Chadha said during the Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha.
Chadha emphasised that while consumers hope that their goods are delivered within 10 minutes, the House needed to think about the gig workers working hard to meet said expectations. He went on to call workers like Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, and Zepto delivery drivers, Ola and Uber ride drivers, and home service providers, the “invisible wheels of the Indian economy.”
“Every day we press a button on our mobile phone app and get a notification that your order is on its way, order delivered, your ride has arrived. But behind this notification, there is often a person whom we do not acknowledge,” Chadha added.
The member of parliament (MP) added that while quick commerce and instant delivery have helped companies achieve billion-dollar valuations and become unicorns, the condition of gig workers remains worse than that of daily wage labourers. He especially pointed out three major challenges that are faced by these platform workers every day: pressure of speed and delivery time, customer harassment, and hazardous working conditions.
“A delivery boy standing on the red light keeps thinking that if he is late, the rating will fall, the incentive will be cut, the app will log out, and the ID will be blocked. That’s why he over-speeds for a 10-minute delivery, jumps the red light and puts his life at stake,” Chadha said. He highlighted how the pressure forces workers to overspeed and jump red lights, fearing rating drops, incentive cuts, app logouts and ID blocks.
Additionally, as per the AAP leader, the workers face constant fear of customer complaints. He explained how even 5-7 minute delays can lead to scolding, threats and 1-star ratings, which can then impact their entire month’s performance and earnings. Chadha explained that gig workers work 12-14 hours daily, in all weather conditions, without protective gear, special bonuses, or hazard allowances. However, he said that, unlike factory workers, they lack permanent employment, humane working conditions, or health and accident insurance.
“Still, sir, they hide their pain, their job insecurity and hopelessness. When they deliver your order, they smile and say, Sir, thank you, give me a 5-star rating,” shared Chadha.
