The planned strike by about 100,000-150,000 riders could cause operational disruptions and impact business on one of the busiest days for these companies, which have reported record high orders for the past two years on New Year’s eve.
Videos made by Swiggy and Zomato circulating in delivery workers’ WhatsApp groups claim incentives of up to Rs 10,000 are up for grabs if they remain online on December 31 and January 1. Swiggy is even conducting a lucky draw for riders operating during peak hours, offering top 10 workers the chance to win an electric scooter.
Also Read: ETtech Explainer: How the December 31 riders’ strike could hit q-comm & food delivery
Instamart claims riders can earn up to Rs 2,000 between 7 to 11 pm on December 31.
Zepto is offering an additional incentive of Rs 25 per order, over and above the Rs 15-20 it pays on regular days, according to a rider, besides bulk incentives for fulfilling a higher number of orders. “For peak hours, between 6 pm and 12 midnight, we are offered Rs 25 per order, and for deliveries between 12 midnight and 2 am, we get Rs 35 on each order,” said another Zepto rider in Bengaluru.
A video being circulated by Zomato says workers will be able to earn up to Rs 6,000 in two days — December 31 and January 1 — subject to working a certain number of hours and achieving specific order milestones.
Platforms offer order-based incentives every year on busy days such as December 31 to ensure adequate supply of last-mile personnel — in anticipation of heavy customer demand.
The Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers and the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) had called two strikes — on December 25 and 31 — demanding job security, higher pay, safer working conditions, and social security benefits.
On Christmas, about 40,000 riders across the country conducted flash strikes and bike rallies, which, according to the unions, caused 50% to 60% of the orders to be delayed. However, the companies have not yet said anything on this.
Zomato, Swiggy, Instamart, Blinkit, Zepto, Flipkart Minutes, and Amazon Now had not responded to ET’s queries till press time.
Besides the three key players, others are also strengthening their last-mile delivery workforce anticipating operational disruptions on December 31.
“As part of our standard operating procedure, we have confirmed rider availability for tomorrow and aligned capacity accordingly. Eighty percent of our gig workforce has booked their gigs in advance,” said Aashutosh Taparia, national head of last mile delivery at Bigbasket.
He added that the company has festive-period incentives in place for riders for the year-end period.
Quick commerce companies started pushing customers to stock up ahead of New Year’s eve, as they braced for a spike in demand and potential disruptions due to a planned strike by delivery personnel, ET reported on Sunday.
A day after Christmas, Instamart, Flipkart Minutes, Zepto, BigBasket, and Amazon Now started rolling out party-themed sections and targeted deals on soft drinks, snacks, mixers, disposable cups, decoration items, and games.
