Food delivery and e-commerce platforms kept services running smoothly on New Year’s Eve despite a nationwide strike call by gig workers, by rolling out higher incentives, waiving penalties and ramping up peak-hour payouts to ensure adequate delivery partner availability during one of the busiest ordering periods of the year.
A section of gig workers across India stopped work on New Year’s Eve, demanding better pay and improved working conditions, but the strike had limited impact on e-commerce and food delivery services on 31 December 2025, a day that typically sees peak demand. Despite demonstrations by gig workers in some locations, platforms such as Zomato and Swiggy reported largely uninterrupted operations during one of the busiest ordering windows of the year.
Incentives Rolled Out to Keep Services Running
Industry sources said companies offered higher incentives to delivery partners, a standard practice during festive periods, to ensure smooth operations on New Year Eve.
Amid the strike call, Zomato offered delivery partners payouts of Rs 120–150 per order during peak hours between 6 pm and 12 am on New Year’s Eve. The platform also promised earnings of up to Rs 3,000 over the course of the day, subject to order volumes and availability, according to people familiar with the matter.
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In addition, Zomato temporarily waived penalties on order denials and cancellations.
“This is part of our standard annual operating protocol during festive periods, which typically see higher earning opportunities due to increased demand,” an Eternal spokesperson told PTI. Eternal owns Zomato and Blinkit.
Similarly, Swiggy stepped up incentives during the year-end rush, offering delivery partners earnings of up to Rs 10,000 across December 31 and January 1, people aware of the development said.
“At Swiggy, we are committed to empowering our delivery partners. As part of our standard process, enhanced incentives are offered on special occasions such as festivals, allowing delivery partners to benefit from increased earning opportunities during peak demand periods across the year,” the company said.
On New Year’s Eve, Swiggy advertised peak-hour earnings of up to Rs 2,000 for the six-hour window between 6 pm and 12 am to ensure adequate rider availability. The platform also operates Swiggy Instamart, which saw strong demand during the holiday period.
Gig Workers’ Unions Claim Large Participation
The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union (TGPWU) and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) claimed that lakhs of gig workers were expected to participate in the nationwide strike on 31 December 2025.
“As of last night, over 1.7 lakh delivery and app-based workers across India have confirmed participation, with numbers expected to rise further by evening,” the unions said in a joint statement.
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They said the strike followed a December 25 action in which thousands of gig workers logged off platforms across Telangana and other regions.
“The December 25 action sent a clear warning to platform companies about falling earnings, unsafe delivery pressure, and loss of dignity at work,” the statement said.
“However, companies responded with silence — no rollback of reduced payouts, no dialogue with workers, and no concrete assurances on safety or working hours. This continued indifference has made today’s strike unavoidable,” it added.
Call for Legal Recognition of Gig Workers
The Gig and Platform Service Workers Union also announced a nationwide strike on New Year Eve, urging gig workers to log off apps and stop services to press for better rights and welfare.
“All gig workers, platform workers, digital platform workers, app-based workers, and online freelancers are earnestly requested to participate in the national strike by shutting down all work-related applications and abstaining from providing services on December 31, 2025, thereby making the strike united and effective,” it said.
Backing the protest, AITUC general secretary Amarjeet Kaur said gig workers should be granted industrial worker status, noting that most labour codes do not adequately cover them.
