• Source:JND

A video circulating widely on X (formerly Twitter) has again sparked concerns over the risks faced by gig workers. The clip shows a Swiggy delivery executive falling on the platform while attempting to deboard a train that had halted there for only a few minutes, after completing his delivery assignment.

The incident occurred at Anantapur railway station, where the delivery executive boarded the Prashanti Express to deliver a food order placed through Swiggy by a passenger travelling in the First AC coach. Before he could disembark safely, the train began moving at a fast speed. In the rush to get down, he slipped and fell onto the platform.

ALSO READ: Aircraft With Six Passengers Onboard Crashes Near Rourkela Airstrip

After the video was shared widely on X, Swiggy responded within three hours, stating that it had reviewed the incident and confirmed that the delivery partner was safe and unharmed and faced no action from authorities. “Safety is our absolute priority. Our protocols strictly prohibit boarding or exiting moving trains,” the company said, adding that it has strengthened safety training to ensure delivery partners clearly understand and follow risk-reducing protocols.

The incident has once again drawn attention to the growing dangers associated with India’s gig economy, particularly amid the push for ultra-fast deliveries or 10-minute deliveries. Gig workers, especially delivery riders, say they face serious day-to-day safety risks, including road accidents, algorithm-driven stress, lack of insurance and compensation, poor safety gear, long working hours and fatigue and no institutional support after accidents.

ALSO READ: Ghaziabad RRTS Station To Have Rooftop Restaurant, Cafes, Wellness And Shopping Centre Soon; Details Here

What Is The 10-Minute Delivery Concept?

The 10-minute delivery concept is a business model adopted by QSR platforms such as Swiggy, Zomato and Blinkit to gain a competitive edge through instant delivery. However, it has raised serious concerns about rider safety. According to The Economic Times, delivery partners typically travel an average distance of about two kilometres at a speed of roughly 16 kilometres per hour. While companies cover insurance premiums, earnings remain modest.

On average, a delivery worker earns around Rs 102 per hour while logged into the app, with tips contributing only marginally. At this rate, a worker logging 10 hours a day for 26 days a month could earn close to Rs 21,000, after accounting for fuel and vehicle maintenance costs.

Industry data suggests that such work intensity is rare. The average Zomato delivery partner worked only 38 days in a year, with an average of seven hours per working day. Just 2.3 per cent of workers logged more than 250 working days annually, highlighting the gap between projected earnings and actual work patterns. The large pool of available workers further reduces the replacement cost of gig workers.

ALSO READ: Karnataka Weather Update: IMD Issues Cold Wave Alert For THESE Districts; Will It Rain In Bengaluru? Check Forecast

Why Gig Workers Protested?

Against this backdrop, thousands of gig workers across India launched a nationwide protest on December 31, one of the largest coordinated actions by app-based workers in recent years. Delivery partners associated with food delivery and quick-commerce platforms, including Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit, Zepto, Amazon and Flipkart, participated in a mass strike timed to coincide with New Year’s Eve, a peak demand period.

Organised by worker collectives and unions, including the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers, the protest highlighted declining earnings, rising fuel costs and algorithm-driven incentive structures. Workers also raised concerns over unsafe delivery timelines, lack of health insurance, accident cover and social security benefits.

A major trigger of the protest has been the growing push for 10-minute deliveries by quick-commerce and food delivery platforms, which workers say puts their lives at risk and intensifies exploitation through algorithm-driven pressure.

Workers argue that ultra-fast delivery timelines force riders to speed, take unsafe road risks and work under extreme stress to avoid penalties and low ratings. Since pay and incentives are linked to delivery speed, even traffic delays or weather disruptions can result in income loss, penalties or account suspensions, making their earnings unstable and unsafe.

ALSO READ: Bangladesh: 21-Year-Old Hindu Youth Beaten, Poisoned To Death In Sunamganj; Renews Debate Amid Rising Communal Tensions

What Are The Demands Of Gig Workers?

The protesting unions submitted five key demands:

  • Removal of 10-minute delivery options from all QSR platforms
  • Restoration of earlier payout structures that ensured fair festival earnings
  • An end to threat calls and the arbitrary suspension of worker IDs
  • A proper grievance redressal mechanism and social security benefits
  • An end to opaque algorithm-based control affecting income and incentives

Also In News