“You know what is strange. Delivering food empty stomach,” said an app based food delivery boy to our team of researchers @DEFindia writing on gig economy.

“The Swiggy is showing it’s 3 kilometer away. But, to reach the location I have to take a 3 kilometer U-turn which will not be included in the payment system. Swiggy cannot see that as they operate through machines. Machine cannot understand human labour.” #gigeconomy @DEFindia

“Zomato ranks performances at 3 levels - Diamond, Gold, Silver. More delivery requests goes to highest level, Silver would wait for several hours for new requests. We are the most vulnerable section in this chain. We have to live on mercy of customers, platforms & restaurants.”

“To get incentives I have to complete the target. Also, I cannot log out during dinner time which starts at 7 in the evening and ends at 10 in the night. All the talk of freedom of choosing work hours is shallow. Everything is being monitored.”
#gigeconomy @DEFindia

Riders have no clue about the rating given by the customers, but they feel there is something not right. These platforms seem to have deliberately created the asymmetry of information which raises questions of transparency about their business model. #gigeconomy @defindia

“Unlike traditional capitalism, the gig economy is a kind of capitalism where aggregators like the digital platforms have more control than those who own necessary assets for the production/function like the delivery workers.” #gigeconomy @defindia

“For all these platforms, we are nothing, customers and restaurants are everything. We are just a cockroach who lives at the roadside all day just to survive.” Said a a “delivery partner” #gigeconomy @defindia

“While speaking for this report, delivery workers had endless stories of being harassed by rogue clients who place orders (cash-on-delivery), snatch the food, and then rough them up in remote places, especially late at night.” #gigeconomy @defindia

The classification of workers as ‘independent workers’ or ‘delivery partner’ is forcing these riders to work 12 hrs/day. Under the garb of independence, the riders are forced to work at less than minimum wage, not regulated under any labour laws..” #gigeconomy @defindia

“For the first time globally, social security benefits will extend to gig platform workers. Minimum wages will apply all categories of workers & they will be covered by the ESIC,” Sitharaman said in her budget speech in January 2021. #gigeconomy @defindia