Gig workers call nationwide ‘App Bandh’ on Dec 31, delivery services in Bengaluru likely to be hit
Bengaluru: Delivery services across Bengaluru are expected to face disruption on December 31 as gig workers’ unions have called for a nationwide strike, raising concerns for restaurants and customers ahead of New Year’s Eve.
The protest, described as an ‘App Bandh’, has been called by several national unions including the Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT) and the Gig and Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU). Union leaders say the strike could see wider participation than a similar call on December 25, which affected parts of Delhi and Gurugram but had little impact on Bengaluru.
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Clarifying that participation is voluntary, IFAT national president Prashant Sawardekar said, “Many workers want to protest, but there is fear of being penalised or blacklisted by platforms. Despite this, the response has been growing.” The union has around seven lakh members across India, with about 35,000 based in Bengaluru. he said.
At the heart of the protest are long-standing demands for regulation of platform companies under labour laws, an end to arbitrary penalties and ID blocking, transparent wage structures, improved social security, and protection of workers’ right to organise. A key demand is a ban on the 10-minute delivery model, which unions argue pushes workers into unsafe conditions. The Karnataka App-based Workers Union has also written to Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya seeking intervention.
Delivery workers noted penalties imposed by aggregator platforms have become a major source of distress, as reported by Deccan Herald. Salauddin, a 49-year-old delivery executive planning to join the strike, said delays beyond their control often lead to fines. “If a restaurant is late or a customer is unresponsive, we still get penalised. There is no accountability on others, only on us,” he said.
Others point to safety concerns, particularly on New Year’s Eve. “The streets are chaotic that night. It’s not worth risking your life for work where neither the company nor customers respect you,” said Sandeep K, a 39-year-old food delivery and porter agent, urging more workers to participate.
Unions have also appealed to home service workers and cab drivers to join the protest, though city-based unions indicated that cab and auto services are unlikely to be affected.
Restaurants and smaller establishments said they may rely on phone orders and in-house staff for deliveries, while larger chains fear significant disruption. With around 35 multiple food brands outlets in the city, Nikhil Gupta, told DH setting up an alternative delivery system at short notice was not feasible. “We are still waiting for payments from aggregator platforms and are hoping services continue. Otherwise, our operations will take a serious hit,” he said.
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Capgemini employee killed, three injured in gas cylinder blast at Bengaluru PG
Bengaluru: A 23-year-old Capgemini employee was killed and three others were injured after a commercial gas cylinder exploded at a paying guest accommodation in Bengaluru’s Kundalahalli on Monday evening, police said.
According to a report published by NDTV, the incident occurred around 6.15 pm at the Seven Hills Sai Co-Living PG, a seven-storey building with 43 rooms. The explosion took place on the ground floor of the building.
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"There was some smoke on the ground floor. The victim and two others, who were on the terrace, came down to check what had happened. It is believed that the blast occurred at that time, killing Aravind. Among the injured, two are employees of private companies, and one works as a helper at the PG," NDTV quoted K Parashurama, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Whitefield) as saying.
Aravind, a native of Ballari district in Karnataka, was working as a senior analyst with Capgemini. Among the injured are 28-year-old Venkatesh from Kurnool, 23-year-old Vishal Verma from Uttarakhand, and 25-year-old CV Goel, a woman from Uttarakhand. Two of the injured are employees of private firms, while one works as a helper at the PG.
As per the report, as soon as fire and smoke were detected, an emergency response was initiated. Fire and police teams rushed to the spot and contained the situation. All the injured were shifted to Brookefield Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.
Police have registered a case and launched an investigation to ascertain the cause of the explosion. We are examining the building for violations. We have already noticed that there was no setback provided during construction, and we are verifying whether other rules were also defied, Parashurama added.
The PG building is owned by a person named Vishnu from Andhra Pradesh and is locally managed by a woman identified as Roja. Further investigation is underway, police said.
