Mumbai: Delivery workers strike against Swiggy’s apathy

Screengrab of the viral video showing Swiggy employees’ motorcycle protest

Delivery workers associated with Swiggy, a food delivery app, have been on an indefinite strike since October 8, demanding improved working conditions. The strike, organised by the Shiv Sena-affiliated union Rashtriya Karmachari Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), was prompted by the lack of response from Swiggy's management to the workers' grievances. Kiran Pawaskar, the union's leader, revealed that Swiggy delivery workers had recently joined their union. "The management informed us that around 22,000 individuals work as delivery personnel for them. Last month, I conducted a meeting with them to present the workers' concerns," he said.

However, Pawaskar was frustrated with the lack of a positive response from the company a month later, leading to their decision to call for a strike. He claimed that approximately 8,000 workers are affiliated with this union, emphasising that the workers themselves are eager for a return to normalcy. Pawaskar noted that another round of meetings is scheduled in the coming days, and if there's no resolution, the strike may continue or escalate into protests.

The strike is currently localised to Mumbai and surrounding areas like Virar, with the primary demands centred on improved pay and working conditions. Although Swiggy has not issued a statement, disgruntled users of the app have taken to social media to vent their frustrations. One user on X (formerly Twitter) expressed dissatisfaction with Swiggy's service, saying, "Absolutely unacceptable service by @Swiggy. Clearly, Swiggy does not care about service. Inhuman to the core. I ordered food for my senior citizen father, only to wait 45 minutes, then follow up with the delivery agent who says to speak to the company as there is a strike." The user added, "Dear @Swiggy, have you considered stopping your app if agents are on strike? Informing the customer immediately instead of the customer calling after 45 minutes? Also, have you considered training your customer care staff to actually care?"

In addition to these complaints, a video circulating on social media shows workers participating in a motorcycle rally in Mumbai as part of the ongoing strike.

8,000
No. of workers affiliated with the Rashtriya Karmachari Sena union