Telangana gig workers slam Uber for ‘PR stunt’ over World Toilet Day

Hyderabad: The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers have strongly criticised Uber’s World Toilet Day partnership with Sulabh International, saying the initiative is “selective, misleading and designed primarily for public relations rather than genuine worker welfare.”

The unions said Uber has “once again used a basic human rights issue to improve its brand image instead of committing to universal sanitation access for gig and platform workers across India.”

They stated that the move benefits only a narrow group of workers while the larger crisis of inadequate hygiene facilities, unsafe conditions and lack of social protection remains unaddressed.

Shaik Salauddin, National General Secretary of IFAT and Founder of TGPWU, criticised Uber’s approach, saying, “Amit Deshpande and Uber should be ashamed for turning a life and dignity issue into a publicity stunt.” He added that “the CSR amount spent on this initiative is a joke for a company of Uber’s size.”

Salauddin said gig and platform workers deserve real welfare, not symbolic gestures. According to him, “Uber is repeating the same pattern of making flashy announcements, spending the bare minimum and then claiming leadership, while lakhs of workers continue to struggle without sanitation, fair wages, social security or basic protections.”

Uber using sanitation as branding opportunity: Unions

The unions accused Uber of treating sanitation as a branding opportunity rather than a responsibility. They said the company has “failed to pursue industry-wide solutions” and “ignored the needs of women gig workers outside Uber whose safety and hygiene challenges are well documented.”

Salauddin said, “If Uber and Amit Deshpande are serious about worker dignity, they should extend sanitation access to every gig and platform worker in India instead of hiding behind selective CSR. Gig workers do not need pity. They need rights, recognition and respect.”

Expand sanitation facilities beyond own driver base: Unions to Uber

The unions urged Uber to expand sanitation facilities beyond its own driver base, collaborate with other platforms to create industry standards, increase CSR investments meaningfully and “stop using worker welfare as a marketing exercise.”

TGPWU and IFAT said workers who keep India moving deserve sustained investment and structural reforms rather than what they described as “selective generosity designed for publicity.”