Delivery services across major food-tech and e-commerce platforms such as Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto, Blinkit, Amazon, and Flipkart are likely to be impacted as gig workers observe an All-India strike on December 25 and December 31, 2025.

The strike has been called by the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) and the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union, according to reports by CNBC-TV18 and The Hindu.

The unions said the protest was triggered by “deteriorating working conditions” faced by delivery partners across platforms.

Workers have flagged a range of issues, including declining earnings, long and unpredictable working hours, unsafe delivery targets, arbitrary account deactivations, and the absence of social security benefits—problems that intensify during peak demand periods and festivals.

At the heart of the agitation is opposition to the increasingly popular “10-minute delivery” model. Workers argue that such ultra-fast delivery timelines push them into dangerous situations on the road, increasing the risk of accidents while offering little compensation or protection in return.

In a statement, the unions outlined five core demands: transparent and fair pay structures; withdrawal of the 10-minute delivery model; an end to account blocking without due process; improved safety gear and accident insurance; and assured work allocation without algorithmic discrimination.

They also demanded stronger technical and app-based support systems, including effective grievance redressal mechanisms for routing and payment failures.

Beyond platform-level changes, the workers are seeking broader job security and social protection, including health insurance, accident coverage, and pension benefits. Respect and dignity at work, they said, remain missing in the current gig economy framework.

The unions have urged both the Centre and state governments to urgently regulate platform companies, enforce labour protections, and implement comprehensive social security frameworks for gig and platform workers. They also want formal recognition of gig workers’ right to unionise and collectively bargain.

Mohammad Inayat Ali, national vice president of IFAT, told The Hindu that while the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025, has been introduced, its implementation remains weak. He reiterated that the 10-minute delivery model continues to put workers’ lives at serious risk.

Ali also alleged that workers attempting to join unions are being intimidated by companies. “Delivery workers are being pushed to the breaking point by unsafe work models, falling incomes, and total absence of social protection,” he said, adding that the strike is a collective call for justice, dignity, and accountability.