Low wages, threats from aggregators: TGPWU releases ‘Impact report’

Hyderabad: The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) released an ‘Impact Evaluation Report’ on Saturday, August 23, highlighting issues faced by gig workers, the government’s response to their demands, and initiatives undertaken by the union to support its members and their families.

Challenges faced by platform workers

A survey conducted among 200 TGPWU members revealed some of the major problems affecting platform workers, with low fares emerging as a prominent issue.

As many as 84.38 percent of the respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the base compensation models used by the aggregators, while 34.38 percent reported that incentives had been substantially reduced or completely withdrawn, resulting in decreased earnings.

Around 26.04 percent reported being affected by ID blocks, which are often issued without prior notice based on customer ratings or occur due to unclear platform policies and severely impact a worker’s income security.

About 12.50 percent complained about the lack of social security and demanded benefits like Employees’ State Insurance and Provident Funds, despite many aggregators classifying gig workers as independent contractors.

Nearly 11.46 percent revealed that a significant share of their earnings was being taken by the aggregators in the form of commissions.

Around 3.65 percent reported working between 10-12 hours a day. Despite this, 4.69 percent reported not receiving enough bookings/orders to make ends meet.

Another hurdle faced by platform workers is the lack of dignity at work, with 5.73 percent saying they feel disrespected or disregarded in their interactions with platforms and customers.

Workers who have been working with apps for a few years complained about disrespect for their work by the platforms and being easily replaceable.

Worker’s satisfaction with TGPWU

Around 53 percent respondents have expressed partial to no satisfaction with the union’s work owing to a lack of tangible outcomes, or not being able to see concrete results.

On the other hand, 53 percent said that they had participated in protests and campaigns organised by the union, out of which 14 percent alleged receiving direct threats from aggregators, including warnings of police complaints or the risk of ID deactivation.

Women representation

The report highlighted the representation of women. Out of the 10,000 workers registered with the union, only 49 are females. It stated that social taboos, safety concerns, and the dual burden of unpaid domestic responsibilities alongside unstable gig work continue to push women out of these opportunities.

Taking note of this, the union has urged for gender-sensitive policies, safer work environments, and structural support to make the gig economy truly inclusive for women.

On a slightly more positive note, 62 percent of the respondents reported receiving support from TGPWU in various forms, including scholarships for children’s education, ration kits, and assistance with e-Shram registration and income tax return (ITR) filing.

TGPWU also provides social media training to workers on using digital platforms to highlight unfair working conditions, and facilitates free health check-ups and insurance coverage for 400 families.

TGPWU demands fulfilled by government

The following demands of TGPWU have been fulfilled by the government:

• The Telangana government issued a Government Order providing Rs 5 lakh accidental death insurance for gig and platform workers in a direct response to TGPWU’s advocacy.
• The state government has also exempted road tax and registration fees for EVs purchased and registered in Telangana until December 31, 2026, to ease the financial challenges faced by gig workers.
• TGPWU also negotiated for better amenities for drivers at the Hyderabad airport, resulting in free parking, canteen access, and washroom facilities for over 5,000 drivers.
• The union also ensured that cab aggregators like Ola and Uber started sharing drop locations with drivers upon ride acceptance and committed to settling driver payments within 24 hours.

Pending demands:

• TGPWU has called for further amendments to address concerns like algorithmic transparency and minimum income guarantees in the draft bill issued by the state government aimed at providing job security, insurance coverage, and basic rights for gig and platform workers.
• TGPWU’s demand for a 50 percent subsidy on commercial EVs, including two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and four-wheelers used by gig and platform workers, is still under consideration.
• A government-supported ride-hailing app proposed by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is still under development, with consultations ongoing.

TGPWU stated that a majority of these workers are the sole earners in their households and the fear of losing access to work has discouraged them from formally affiliating with the union. It has called for stronger protections to ensure the workers’ right to collective representation.