Telangana gig workers join global ‘switch off’, halt apps 12 pm to 5 pm

Hyderabad: Gig and platform workers in Telangana joined a nationwide shutdown and global solidarity action on Saturday, staging a coordinated “switch off” and deciding halting app based services from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. to protest rising fuel costs, low payouts and lack of social security.

Organised locally by the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU), the action formed part of the #GlobalTotalSwitchOff campaign ahead of discussions at the International Labour Conference. Workers from ride hailing, food delivery, e commerce and home services observed staggered switch offs through the day — with e commerce and home services pausing in the morning, food delivery in the afternoon and ride hail drivers in the evening.

TGPWU founder Shaik Salauddin said India’s platform workers stood in solidarity with global peers to demand dignity, transparency, social security and legal recognition. The Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) led the nationwide call for a temporary shutdown between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Unions are demanding a minimum payment of Rs 20 per kilometre for delivery and transport workers, saying recent fuel price hikes have sharply increased operational costs for workers who rely on motorcycles and scooters. GIPSWU president Seema Singh warned that without revised payout structures and social protections, many gig workers could be forced to leave the sector.

Union leaders also called for accident insurance, transparent algorithms, fair incentive systems and formal legal recognition for platform workers. They said about 1.2 crore gig and platform workers across India stand vulnerable to rising fuel and living costs and that the protests aim to press for long term labour reforms.