Gig Economy Strikes Reveal India’s Worker Power Gap

Delivery strikes across India’s gig platforms on New Year’s Eve had little impact, highlighting structural weaknesses in collective worker action. Labour oversupply and fragmented workforces mean that even if some workers stop working, others quickly fill in, allowing platforms to continue operations smoothly. Experts say this design, combined with algorithmic controls over task allocation, pay, and deactivation, quietly neutralises worker resistance.

Despite claims of flexibility and fairness by platform leaders, gig workers in India remain largely unprotected under labour laws. While the Code on Social Security, 2020 recognises gig and platform workers for social security registration, it does not grant basic employee rights like minimum wages, fixed hours, or collective bargaining. Income volatility and opaque algorithmic management make work precarious rather than flexible, leaving workers dependent on platforms without meaningful bargaining power.

Legal experts suggest incremental safeguards could balance flexibility with protection. Measures like guaranteed earnings, safety standards, and clear dispute mechanisms could reduce uncertainty without requiring reclassification as traditional employees. Researchers argue that scale alone cannot justify business models that shift all risk onto workers, leaving the gig economy able to absorb strikes efficiently and quietly by design.

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