 Summary of this article
- Ahead of Budget 2026, gig workers are demanding constitutional guarantees, fair wages, and a national social security framework as income insecurity and long work hours deepen.
- The Economic Survey flags low earnings, algorithmic control, and lack of credit access, reinforcing workers’ claims of precarity despite the sector’s rapid growth.
- Outlook spoke with gig workers, MP Manoj Jha, and director Nandita Das to understand the demands and ground realities of life as a gig worker.
As the Union Budget approaches on February 1, all industrial sectors, segments, and the general public are waiting with bated breath to see what gifts and good news (or not so good news) await their financial future.
India’s gig worker sector, estimated to be around 7.7 lakh according to a 2023 NITI Aayog report, is also hoping big. The gig work sector has been in the spotlight on and off since December, with protests on the ground, dismissal of demands from top leadership of the platforms which employ them, and even a small hopeful message from the labour ministry.
But the ground reality is this, no fixed income, unrealistic work hours, no workers safety as promised in other sectors, and lots more. All these issues were highlighted on Friday at a Janpahal and Gig Workers Association-led report screening at New Delhi.
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Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha has argued that while states such as Karnataka have taken the lead in regulating platform work, lasting protection for gig workers requires strong central intervention.
Jha, one of the panelists at this event and one of most vocal supporters of gig workers' rights, spoke with Outlook after the event.
Is Scrapping 10-Minute Delivery Enough To End Gig Workers' Exploitation?
BY Ainnie Arif |
