Gig workers’ union labels Zomato roles ‘not decent work’, challenges CEO’s earning claims

New Delhi: A fresh debate regarding working conditions in India’s burgeoning quick commerce sector erupted on Saturday after a Telangana-based gig workers’ union sharply criticised Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal’s defence of the company’s delivery model, branding the current conditions as “not decent work”.

The pushback from the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Association (TGPWA) came in response to a detailed statement posted by Goyal on social media platform X, where he outlined the earnings and welfare measures for delivery partners on Zomato and Blinkit.

In his defence of the platform's compensation structure, Goyal stated that in 2025, delivery partners earned an average of Rs 102 per hour, excluding tips, which marked a 10.9 per cent year-on-year increase from the Rs 92 recorded in 2024. The CEO emphasised that partners have the flexibility to choose their working hours, retain 100 per cent of customer tips, and are not compelled into unsafe driving practices to meet 10-minute delivery promises. He also highlighted welfare initiatives, including insurance coverage and pension support, as evidence of the company's commitment to its workforce.

However, the TGPWA challenged these assertions, arguing that the ground reality for riders is significantly different. In a counter-statement, the union calculated that once essential expenses such as fuel and vehicle maintenance are deducted, the actual earnings drop to approximately Rs 81 per hour. According to their estimates, a partner working 10 hours a day for 26 days would take home roughly Rs 21,000 a month. The union further questioned Goyal’s emphasis on tips, noting that only about 5 per cent of orders receive tips, and pointed to the lack of paid leave and social security benefits as reasons why the existing setup could not be classified as decent employment.

(Inputs from IANS)