AAP's Raghav Chadha Flags 'Guilt-Free Exploitation' As Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal Defends Gig Economy

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of Parliament (MP) Raghav Chadha on interacted with the delivery riders of Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit etc in Old Rajinder Nagar on the new year eve.

Chadha, the Rajya Sabha MP, shared the video of his detailed conversatio he did on New Year's eve on social media and said,“It's tragic that millions of delivery riders who helped build instant-commerce companies into what they are today, are now forced to protest just to be heard.

Also Read | Gig workers' New Year's Eve strike fizzles as Swiggy, Zomato roll out incentives

"These platforms didn't succeed because of algorithms alone. They succeeded because of human sweat and labour, Chadha said.

The Aam Aadmi Party leader's comments comes in the wake of tens of thousands of app-based delivery workers going on a strike over New Year's Eve, against what they called a relentless pressure, including requirements to deliver items in 10 minutes.

The workers have been calling for“fair pay, dignity and safety,” as well as an immediate ban on a marketing hook that commits them to delivering groceries to any address within a roughly three kilometer (1.8 miles) radius within 10 minutes.

"It's time companies start treating riders as human beings, not disposable data points. The gig economy cannot become a guilt-free exploitation economy,” Chadha said.

Goyal's defence

Zomato Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Deepinder Goyal has been defending the gig economy.

“Our 10 minute delivery promise is enabled by the density of stores around your homes. It's not enabled by asking delivery partners to drive fast. Delivery partners don't even have a timer on their app to indicate what was the original time promised to the customer,” Goyal said in one of the many posts on X that he has been posting.

Chadha who has been championing the cause of gig workers, and even took up the issue in Rajya Sabha insisted that it was time for companies start treating riders as human beings, not disposable data points.

'The gig economy cannot become a guilt-free exploitation economy," he said.

Also Read | Zomato's Deepinder Goyal makes fresh comments defending gig economy

Chadha on Wednesday expressed solidarity with delivery partners and riders staging a symbolic one-day protest against poor working conditions and low pay.

'Overworked, underpaid, and denied dignity'

Chadha said the protest highlights how gig workers are overworked, underpaid, and denied dignity, social security, and basic labour protections. Appealing to companies such as Zepto, Blinkit, Zomato, and Swigg, he said gig workers are the backbone of their multi-million-dollar enterprises and must be treated fairly and with respect.

"I express my solidarity with delivery boys and riders, who are on a strike today, and staging a symbolic protest to show how they are overworked and underpaid, and demanding dignity of work, social security, and justice. I appeal to the management of companies like Zepto, Blinkit, Zomato, and Swiggy, that the backbone of your million-dollar enterprises is these gig workers. Please take care of them," Chadha told news agency ANI.

Also Read | Raghav Chadha offers to mediate for gig workers, says 'they aren't robots'

Chadha alleged that workers who raise concerns are often penalised by reduced deliveries or being logged out of apps, resulting in financial losses.

(With ANI inputs)

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