Gig Workers Union Holds 5-Hour Shutdown Demanding Minimum Wage Increase to Match Rising Fuel Prices

Key Points

The Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) held a five-hour nationwide shutdown of app-based services on 16 May 2026 amid rising fuel prices. The union demands urgent revision of payment structures for delivery workers, drivers and transport workers associated with digital platforms.

The union appealed to gig and platform workers across the country to suspend app based services from 12 pm to 5 pm in protest against increasing petrol, diesel and LPG prices and what it described as inadequate compensation structures.

The protest comes after oil marketing companies raised petrol and diesel prices by around ₹3 per litre, marking the first major nationwide retail fuel price hike in nearly four years. Petrol prices in Delhi rose to around ₹97.77 per litre while diesel prices climbed to approximately ₹90.67 per litre.

GIPSWU said nearly 1.2 crore gig and platform workers are likely to be directly affected by the increase because a large section of workers rely on motorcycles, scooters and other vehicles to earn their livelihoods. The increase in fuel prices, along with earlier increases in LPG cylinder rates, has sharply increased operational costs for workers already struggling with inflation and rising living costs.

The union demanded that both the government and digital platforms immediately introduce a minimum payout rate of ₹20 per kilometre. GIPSWU said app-based companies had not proportionately revised payouts despite rising operational costs.

Union President Seema Singh described the fuel price hike as a “direct blow” to gig workers, particularly those working through severe heatwave conditions. “Delivery workers for Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit and others simply cannot bear this,” she said, adding that many workers may be forced to leave the sector if payouts are not revised.

See Also: Delhi Budget 2026-27 Brings Relief for Gig Workers with New Rest Stops and Welfare Boards

The union said workers associated with platforms including Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Zepto, Ola, Uber, Rapido, Porter, Amazon Flex, Dunzo and Urban Company travel long distances daily while bearing fuel, servicing and maintenance expenses on their own – many spend between 10 and 14 hours every day on congested roads in difficult weather conditions.

“Among the nearly 60 crore workers engaged in the unorganised sector, around 1.2 crore gig and platform workers are among the worst affected sections,”  National Coordinator Nirmal Gorana said, because their incomes are directly linked to fuel consumption and vehicle usage.

The protest also comes amid broader concerns over the rapid expansion of India’s gig economy. According to NITI Aayog, India had around 77 lakh gig workers in 2020-21 with the number projected to rise to more than 2.3 crore by 2029-30. The union has submitted memorandums to the Government of India and several digital platforms seeking immediate intervention, revised delivery charges and fuel compensation for workers.

The union said the proposed shutdown was intended as a peaceful protest to highlight the financial difficulties faced by gig workers and appealed to the public and civil society organisations for support.

In Bengaluru, cab drivers and delivery workers said the latest increase would reduce already shrinking monthly savings and make it harder to sustain themselves under current incentive structures.

In Odisha, panic buying at fuel stations created long queues and disrupted transport operations, with gig workers reporting delays of several hours just to refuel vehicles.

Kamalakanta Barik, a delivery worker in Bhubaneswar, said waiting for fuel had begun affecting work hours and earnings. “If we spend hours just to refuel our vehicle, how do we devote time to work and earn a living?” he said.

[DS]

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