Delivery Partners and the New Kunal Kamra Unions

It's a surrealistic situation out there.

- GURBIR SINGH

There was a time when workers, even the casual and temporary ones, had their trade unions to speak up on their behalf. Things have changed. It's a hire-and-fire regime now. So much so one needs a stand-up comic like Kunal Kamra to fill the space vacated by traditional leaders.

What do you make of Kamra's latest salvo against quick-comm delivery companies like Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy for exploiting their delivery workers—euphemistically called 'delivery partners' or 'gig workers'? Responding to Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa boasting of the lakhs of condoms delivered over New Year's eve, Kamra responded with tweets demanding Dhindsa first come clean on how much he pays his 'delivery partners'. Pointing to the dark side of quick commerce, he accused the promoters of operating as "landlords without owning land"; and while portraying themselves as innovative entrepreneurs, failing to provide fair wages and working conditions.

A few weeks ago, Kunal Kamra stepped in for consumers of electric 2 wheelers (e2ws) manufactured by Ola. While it should have been consumer forums who should have called out Ola promoter Bhavish Aggarwal for the poor after-sales services, it fell on the shoulders of a comedian to highlight the plight of thousands of e2w buyers who had been left holding a lemon.