The strike by food delivery agents, cab drivers, and auto-rickshaw drivers operating under app-based aggregators in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad on Wednesday was declared "100% successful" by the Indian Gig Workers Front (IGWF).
Cab and auto-rickshaw drivers from platforms like Ola and Uber, as well as delivery personnel working for companies including Swiggy, Zomato, Urban Company, and others, organised the strike to voice their concerns about the state government's perceived inaction regarding organised labor laws for these workers.
The protesters demanded the implementation of the Gig Workers Registration and Welfare Act in Maharashtra, which has already been enacted in Rajasthan. They argued that this Act is crucial to safeguard the rights of workers and protect them from various forms of employer harassment. Furthermore, they urged the state government to align the Cab Aggregator Act with the central government's Cab Aggregator guidelines.
The demonstrators met with Resident Collector Jyoti Kadam and Deputy Regional Transport Officer Sanjeev Bhor. During this meeting, they were informed that a joint meeting involving all the companies, trade unions, and officials would be held next week to address the issue at the city level. They were also promised that their concerns would be communicated to senior officials at the state-level.
The protesters issued a warning that if their demands were not addressed within the next few days, they would resort to a more forceful form of street protest.
