Telangana launches gig workers’ welfare law on Independence Day, August 15
Gig workers’ unions announced an indefinite strike from August 8, demanding better wages, stronger social security benefits and improved workplace protections.
- Unions have called an indefinite strike from August 8 over wages, social security and workplace protections.
- The Telangana Gig Workers Act was passed on March 30, received Governor’s assent on May 1, but lacks operational guidelines.
- CM Revanth Reddy has asked SHAKTI to fast-track guidelines; enforcement is now likely from August 15.
- Key demands include minimum base fare, revised per-km/per-minute rates, and a functional welfare board.
- A 12-hour flash strike on July 22 disrupted Ola, Uber, Rapido, Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto, Blinkit and Porter services.
- The Act promises unique IDs, welfare fund, algorithmic transparency and grievance redressal once rules are notified.
The escalation comes after a 12-hour statewide flash strike on July 22 that disrupted app-based transport and food delivery services across the state, and a global solidarity campaign #GlobalTotalSwitchOff on May 16 that drew gig and platform workers into a wider conversation about labour rights in the digital economy.
The Telangana Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration, Social Security and Welfare) Act was passed on March 30 this year and referred to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla for assent. On May 1, the Governor gave his approval, following which the state government issued a gazette notification. However, the Act could not be enforced for want of operational guidelines, leaving workers in a legal limbo even as the law existed on paper.
With the proposed agitation by gig and platform workers’ unions around the corner, reports indicate that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy directed the Department of Skill, Human Capital and Knowledge Training Initiatives (SHAKTI) to speed up work on the guidelines so that the Act can be enforced from August 15. The draft guidelines have been submitted to the CMO for approval, sources said, adding that Reddy is expected to review them in a couple of days.
For drivers and delivery partners, the delay has been more than bureaucratic. It has meant months of uncertainty over minimum fares, transparent algorithms, and access to welfare schemes that the Act promises. Unions say they are demanding a minimum base fare along with revised per-kilometre and per-minute rates for app-based transport services, immediate notification of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Rules, and constitution of a welfare board. They also want implementation of minimum fares under the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines (MVAG), 2025, instead of allowing aggregator companies to fix fares unilaterally.
The flash strike on July 22 showed how quickly the city’s mobility and delivery networks can be affected when workers log off. Services operated through platforms including Ola, Uber, Rapido, Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto, Blinkit and Porter were disrupted during peak hours. Union leaders estimate that more than two lakh gig and platform workers are part of the movement, with some putting the number closer to four lakh.
The broader promise of the Act is to register all gig and platform workers with a unique ID, establish a welfare board and fund, and bring transparency to algorithms that determine earnings, ratings and task allocation. It also mandates grievance redressal, safe working conditions, and penalties for non-compliance by aggregators. But until the operational guidelines are in place, these provisions remain largely aspirational.