Swing voters: Telangana Gig, platform-based workers want a piece of pie before pledging support

Hyderabad: Come elections, politicians are coming up with new plans to woo the swing voters.

Gig and platform workers are one such group that has come on the radar of political parties. There are 4.2 lakh gig and platform workers across the state. These workers primarily include ride-hailing drivers from Ola, Uber, Rapido, and Porter, as well as delivery partners from Swiggy, Zomato, Blink, Dunzo, BigBasket, Shadowfax, Amazon, Urban Company, and various other platforms.

Rajasthan government has recently introduced a Registration and Welfare Bill for Rajasthan Platform-based Gig Workers. This was a huge success and was very much in benefit to the workers. In the same way, during the elections in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi was seen having breakfast with the gig workers and drivers and has made several promises to them.

But the main point is that, in both the states, the political parties included the gig and platform workers across the state in their manifestos. Now, the gig and platform workers across Telangana also demand that their welfare should be part of the manifesto of the political parties ahead of the elections.

Talking to us, Shaik Salauddin, President, Telangana Gig And Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) shared some interesting details about the current scenario of the workers in the state. He said all of a sudden, just a month ahead of the elections, political parties, and the politicians are getting in touch with him seeking his support to the party.

“Everybody knows that we are a group of 4.2 lakh members (voters) and all eyes are on us now. This is nothing but a political move just because they want our votes. But what about our needs, welfare, security, and more things that need to be taken care of? Telangana is in the top 3 cities of the country with the highest number of gig and platform-based workers. It is important to talk about our livelihood, job guarantee, social security, and more,” says Shaik Salauddin.

Sharing more information about it, he said they have made their demands clear to the parties asking them to include the same in their manifesto and the demands are as below:

· A welfare cess, a fee on each transaction generated in the platform, which is deposited into a dedicated social security fund for the welfare of gig and platform workers.

· A tripartite board comprising representatives from aggregators, worker organizations, and the government, responsible for administering social security schemes for gig and platform workers. All gig and platform workers onboarded with the aggregator’s platforms should be automatically registered with the board and eligible for the benefits.

· A centralized tracking and management system that serves as a common portal for all financial transactions on the aggregator's platform. This system provides a detailed breakdown of individual bills, including fares, commissions, payments to workers, fees, and taxes.

· A binding law (social security bill) that ensures that the above points are followed.

Telangana is poised to create legislation that meets the unique demands of its gig and platform workforce. The primary focus should be the establishment of a dedicated social security fund, automatic registration of workers, and centralized tracking and management systems for transparent transactions.

The campaign "Driving in Despair," undertaken by these workers, seeks to raise awareness among consumers regarding the challenges they face. Flyers with relevant information have been placed on the back of cabs to enlighten customers about the issues these drivers confront. The campaign encourages customers to support these drivers by sharing pictures of these flyers on social media using the hashtag #drivingindespair.