To keep partners logged in on strike day, delivery platforms step up incentives

A nationwide New Year's eve strike to protest low pay and lack of social security benefits elicited a mixed response from delivery workers, even as app-based platforms offered festive bonuses in a bid to counter delayed service and manpower shortage. Most customers had no clue about the strike but several orders were inordinately delayed.

Anticipating one of the busiest days for food and grocery delivery platforms, Eternal, Swiggy and Zepto raised pay per order for delivery partners. "Platforms which usually pay us Rs 5-Rs 10 for delivering an order are offering an incentive in the range of Rs 110-150 per order," said Shaik Salauddin, founder president at Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union, which is leading the protest alongside Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers. Aggregators were also offering to waive penalties on order denials and cancellations.




However, a section of workers refused to relent. Siddhesh Patil (name changed), said aggregators were flooding them with New Year's Eve offers of incentives and 'double earnings', "but these targets are impossible to achieve, anyway". Those on strike risked having their IDs blocked by the aggregator as a punitive measure, he added.

"On festivals and special days like Dec 31 and Jan 1, we don't manage to convert many food delivery orders because restaurants are packed and can't process online orders fast enough," he said. So even if Zomato or Swiggy promised him an extra Rs 90 per order to cover the 6-10pm rush hour slot and guaranteed a payout of Rs 2,175 to complete 19 orders in six hours, he'd still fall short of the target, he said. "On an average day, I complete 20 orders between 9am and 11pm. Last New Year's Eve I completed 15 orders with difficulty."

On Dec 30, Zomato had sent a letter to all its employees assuring them "no delivery partner will face any obstruction while delivering orders. So, on 31st Dec, 2025, log in without worry and earn up to Rs 3,500." The letter went on to promise workers of on-field assistance to "ensure their safety" and even encouraged them to call the police if they faced interruptions.

Union leaders interpret the letter as a sign that aggregators now recognise the growing resistance as a force to be reckoned with. Salauddin said they were urging gig workers to not get tempted. "This is not a genuine solution to long-standing issues," said Salauddin.

Gig workers are protesting pressure from 10-minute delivery models. They also seek an end to arbitrary incentive structures, ID blocking, penalties and reduction in per-order payouts.

To avoid any disruptions, many restaurants are relying on their own apps and in-house delivery fleet, leveraging the situation to gain direct consumers. "We have stepped up focus on our Wow Eats app and have been sending mass emails," said Sagar Daryani, co-founder & CEO at Wow! Momo Foods. Some restaurants are partnering with Shadowfax and Rapido, Daryani said. Kolkata-based restaurant Chowman said it is pushing its own app orders so that the firm's in-house fleet can seamlessly support any potential shortfall.