New Year Celebrations May Be Dampened as Gig Workers Prepare to Strike

New Delhi: As India gears up to welcome 2026, residents of Delhi-NCR may face disruptions in food and e-commerce deliveries as gig workers plan to go on strike on Wednesday. The move threatens to affect home deliveries, potentially putting a damper on New Year celebrations.

Reason for the Strike:
Gig workers claim they are not adequately compensated for their work, while companies continue to earn substantial profits. Earlier, on 25 December, gig workers in Gurgaon had staged a similar work stoppage, highlighting ongoing grievances over wages and working conditions.

Impact on Residents and Businesses:
Food and e-commerce delivery personnel form a crucial link in bringing essentials and festive orders to households. If the strike proceeds, residents in large societies in Gurgaon and Gautam Buddh Nagar may face difficulties receiving daily necessities and celebratory food deliveries. Businesses, especially restaurants, could also incur significant losses, as the last day of the year typically sees peak orders.

Restaurant owners argue that while companies enforce strict rules on delivery workers, they charge higher commissions from restaurants themselves. Gig workers, on the other hand, insist that without fair wages and better working conditions, backing down from the strike is difficult.

Union Demands:
According to The Economic Times, the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers and the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union have called for strikes on 25 and 31 December, demanding job security, higher pay, safe working conditions, and social security benefits. During the Christmas strike, approximately 40,000 riders participated, causing delays in 50–60% of orders.

Scale of the Strike:
An estimated 100,000–150,000 riders are expected to participate in the New Year strike. This could significantly impact businesses on one of the busiest days of the year. Major platforms such as Zomato, Swiggy, Instamart, Blinkit, Zepto, Flipkart Minutes, and Amazon Now have not yet issued official statements regarding the strike.

Conclusion:
With gig workers highlighting longstanding grievances, New Year celebrations and online deliveries could face disruptions, underscoring the critical role these workers play in India’s delivery ecosystem.