Will Food Delivery, Quick Commerce Orders Arrive on New Year’s Eve?

Online food, grocery and last-minute shopping deliveries could face disruptions across several Indian cities on New Year’s Eve as gig and delivery workers prepare for a nationwide strike on December 31.

New Year’s Eve is one of the busiest days of the year for food delivery, quick commerce and e-commerce platforms. Any large-scale protest by delivery workers could lead to delays, cancellations or reduced availability of services during peak hours.

The strike has been called by the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT), with support from worker groups in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi-NCR, West Bengal and parts of Tamil Nadu.

Workers linked to platforms including Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Zepto, Amazon and Flipkart are expected to participate in the strike.

In a letter addressed to Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the unions said the protest was against what they described as the “systemic exclusion” of gig workers from basic labour rights. They urged the Centre to step in and address what they termed the exploitation of workers by food delivery and app-based taxi platforms.

The unions pointed out that delivery workers had already held a nationwide flash strike on December 25. IFAT said 40,000 delivery workers participated in the strike, which disrupted nearly 50–60% of services in several cities. According to the unions, that protest showed how deeply the platform economy depends on gig workers.

In its letter, the Gig and Platform Services Workers Union (GIPSWU) said gig workers continue to be denied core labour protections under Indian law. It alleged that many workers face harassment, discrimination, unsafe working conditions and violence, while having little access to social security or job security.

Worker groups also claimed that delivery partners are being forced to work longer hours even as their earnings decline. They raised concerns about unsafe delivery targets, lack of dignity at work, arbitrary blocking of worker IDs and the absence of benefits such as health insurance and pensions.

Sharing his experience, Mumbai-based delivery executive Supaar Khan told PTI that workers receive very low payouts despite harsh working conditions. “We get around ₹25 for a 3-km ride. We work in rain and face many difficulties, but companies don’t provide facilities. On busy days like New Year’s Eve, if all riders come together, maybe the companies will listen,” he said.

With many delivery executives expected to log off apps or limit their work on December 31, customers in cities such as Pune, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Kolkata may face delays in food orders, grocery deliveries and last-minute shopping.

IFAT has called on the government to bring platform companies under labour regulations, ban unsafe ultra-fast delivery models, ensure fair wages, provide social security benefits and protect workers’ right to organise and bargain collectively.