HYDERABAD, India — App-based transport workers affiliated with major ride-hailing and logistics platforms are planning a nationwide strike on Saturday, protesting declining incomes and what unions describe as worsening exploitation across the sector.
The action, referred to by organizers as an all-India “breakdown,” has been called by the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers. The unions represent drivers and delivery workers operating on platforms including Ola, Uber, Rapido, Porter, and other app-based transport services.
Union leaders say the strike is aimed at pressuring central and state governments to implement minimum base fares under the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, which they argue have not been enforced despite being formally issued.
Shaik Salahuddin, founder president of the Telangana union and a national officeholder of the federation, said platform companies continue to set fares unilaterally, leaving workers with shrinking earnings and increasingly unsustainable working conditions.
According to the unions, key demands include the immediate notification of minimum base fares for all app-based transport services, to be finalized in consultation with recognized worker unions, as outlined in the 2025 guidelines. They are also calling for stricter enforcement of rules governing vehicle classification, including a ban on the use of private, non-commercial vehicles for commercial passenger and goods transport unless they are formally converted to commercial status under existing motor vehicle laws.
Union leaders are urging both central and state governments to open direct dialogue with worker representatives and establish what they describe as a fair and lawful regulatory framework for the rapidly expanding app-based transport sector.
Salahuddin said participation in the strike will involve drivers cancelling ride requests or switching off their apps entirely for the day. In Telangana alone, he estimated there are roughly 250,000 auto-rickshaw drivers, 150,000 cab drivers, and about 50,000 Porter drivers who could be affected.
The Telangana union has previously written to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the state transport department, and senior officials, formally notifying them of the planned action. The letter reiterated demands for minimum fare notifications covering autos, cabs, bike taxis, and other aggregator-based services, to be set through consultations with driver and worker unions.
The strike highlights growing tensions between gig economy workers and platform operators, as governments across India grapple with how to regulate app-based transport while balancing worker protections and consumer affordability. (Source: IANS)
