Zomato, Swiggy roll out higher incentives ahead of New Year’s Eve amid gig workers’ strike call

Food delivery platforms Zomato and Swiggy have rolled out enhanced incentives for delivery partners ahead of New Year’s Eve, a period of peak demand, as gig workers’ unions press ahead with a nationwide strike call over pay and working conditions.

The TGPWU (Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union) and the IFAT (Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers) have claimed that lakhs of app-based workers are expected to participate in the strike on December 31, potentially affecting food delivery and quick commerce services, including Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto.

Industry sources said New Year’s Eve typically sees one of the highest order volumes of the year, prompting platforms to introduce additional incentives to ensure adequate rider availability and minimise service disruptions.

Zomato has offered delivery partners payouts ranging between Rs 120 and Rs 150 per order during peak hours from 6 pm to 12 am on December 31. The platform has also indicated that delivery partners could earn up to Rs 3,000 over the course of the day, depending on order volumes and availability. In addition, penalties for order denials and cancellations have been temporarily waived.

An Eternal spokesperson, whose company owns Zomato and Blinkit, said these measures were part of the company’s standard operating protocol during festive and year-end periods, which typically see higher demand and earning opportunities.

Swiggy has also stepped up incentives during the year-end period. According to people familiar with the matter, the platform is offering delivery partners earnings of up to Rs 10,000 across December 31 and January 1. For New Year’s Eve, Swiggy is advertising peak-hour earnings of up to Rs 2,000 for the six-hour window between 6 pm and midnight to ensure sufficient rider availability.

The unions, however, said the incentives do not address core issues faced by gig workers. In a joint statement, TGPWU and IFAT claimed that over 1.7 lakh delivery and app-based workers across India had already confirmed participation in the strike, with numbers expected to rise.

• Unions allege falling payouts, unsafe delivery pressure and lack of dialogue

• Platforms say higher incentives are routine during festive, high-demand periods

• Strike may impact food delivery and quick commerce on December 31

The unions said the strike follows a large-scale protest on December 25, when thousands of delivery workers logged off platforms in several regions. They alleged that companies failed to engage with workers or offer assurances after that action.

Separately, the Gig and Platform Service Workers Union also announced a nationwide strike on December 31, calling on gig and app-based workers to shut down work-related applications for the day to collectively raise demands related to rights, welfare and dignity at work.

With inputs from PTI