Pune, 19th Oct 2023: Food delivery agents, along with cab and auto-rickshaw drivers operating under application-based aggregators in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, have declared a strike on October 25 to protest the state government’s inaction regarding the Gig Workers Registration and Welfare Act. The proposed legislation aims to safeguard workers’ rights and protect them from various forms of employer harassment.
In addition to the Gig Workers Act, protestors are calling on the state government to implement the Cab Aggregator Act in alignment with the central government’s Cab Aggregator guidelines. Keshav Kshirsagar, president of the Baghtoy Rickshawala organization, emphasized the urgency of introducing both acts during the upcoming winter session.
The Gig Workers Registration and Welfare Act, already in place in Rajasthan, serves as a model for Maharashtra. The strike enjoys the support of delivery agents, auto-rickshaw, and cab drivers affiliated with companies like OLA, Uber, Zomato, Swiggy, among others, who have pledged their participation in the October 25 bandh.
It is worth noting that the RTO Pune has previously declared the operation of auto-rickshaws under application-based aggregators as illegal, due to the absence of proper guidelines for aggregator services concerning two-wheelers and three-wheelers in Maharashtra.
