By: The Trek News Desk
With gig workers’ unions calling for a nationwide strike on New Year’s Eve, food delivery platforms Zomato and Swiggy have announced enhanced incentives for their delivery partners in an effort to maintain smooth operations during one of the busiest periods of the year.
The companies stated that higher payouts during festive and year-end periods are part of their regular operating strategy, aimed at meeting the surge in consumer demand and avoiding service disruptions. However, industry sources noted that the strike could still impact food delivery and quick-commerce services offered by platforms such as Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto on December 31.
Zomato has rolled out higher per-order earnings for delivery partners during peak hours between 6 pm and 12 midnight on New Year’s Eve, offering payouts ranging from ₹120 to ₹150 per order. In addition, delivery partners may earn up to ₹3,000 over the course of the day, depending on order volumes and availability. Sources also said that penalties related to order cancellations and rejections have been temporarily waived for the period.
An official spokesperson for Eternal, the parent company of Zomato and Blinkit, said that providing increased earning opportunities during high-demand festive seasons is a standard annual practice.
Swiggy has also stepped up its incentives ahead of the year-end rush. According to sources, the platform is offering delivery partners the chance to earn up to ₹10,000 across December 31 and January 1. For New Year’s Eve specifically, Swiggy is promoting potential earnings of up to ₹2,000 during the six-hour peak window from 6 pm to midnight, to ensure sufficient rider availability.
Meanwhile, the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union (TGPWU) and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) claimed in a joint statement that more than 1.7 lakh gig and app-based workers across India have already confirmed participation in the strike, with numbers expected to rise further by evening.
The unions said that despite a large-scale protest on December 25, when thousands of delivery workers logged off from platforms in several regions, companies failed to address key concerns related to declining payouts, safety issues and working hours. As a result, they announced an escalated nationwide strike for December 31, 2025.
The Gig and Platform Service Workers Union have also issued a nationwide call, urging all gig, app-based and digital platform workers to shut down work-related applications and refrain from providing services on New Year’s Eve, in a collective effort to press for better rights, welfare and dignity at work.
Source: News Agencies
