Gig workers find their voice

Three nationwide strikes in the services sector within a space of less than three months are worth noting, even if it is a coincidence that these union-ised protests came back to back.

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The first round of agitation originated at quick commerce companies during the peak holiday season at the end of 2025. On New Year's eve, hundreds of delivery partners stayed away from work, putting a brake on their drill of sourcing ordered items from dark stores and rushing to the customer’s doorstep, all in 10 minutes or less. The strike was meant to demand better working conditions, higher wages and an end to quick commerce, which has come to be synonymous with 10-minute delivery — a major hit in India. Stepping in to address the issues raised by delivery workers, the government offered a solution: Companies should not use 10-minute delivery as a marketing or a branding tool. Since then, workers are back on the road trying to meet the mandated deadline to deliver orders, even though companies appear to be guarded in promising a time-band for delivery.

The second instance of a strike was at public-sector banks across the country on January 27. The United Forum of Bank Unions called for the strike, demanding five-day workweek in banks. Currently, banks are closed on alternate Saturdays and all Sundays. Government approval for a bank holiday on all Saturdays has remained pending for long. While the strike significantly affected operations at bank branches, the overall impact was diluted because of the large-scale use of digital transactions.