Gig workers led a major protest against Urban Company on Wednesday — calling for an end to ‘instant’ services with impossible timeframes. The company has sparked outrage in recent months after urging ‘salon’ workers to deliver their services in 15-minute slots. The protesters claimed they were threatened, pushed around and touched inappropriately as they sought to make their point.
“When we told them how the instant services would put workers’ lives in danger and raised our voice against their behaviour on social media, they blocked our ID. They use this ID-blocking to threaten employees. They had called bouncers and would not let us in when we arrived at the office to discuss the matter. They pushed us, touched us inappropriately, and verbally abused us. That is when I called the police,” one of the protesters told Deccan Herald.
According to the report, some of the protesters now plan to file a police complaint along with the Karnataka App-Based Workers Union.
Denying the claims, Urban Company, in a statement to FinancialExpress.com, claimed that a “larger group comprising individuals who were not Urban Company service partners” entered the office premises, prompting the management to call the police to help manage the situation and ensure safety.
“Urban Company remains committed to constructive dialogue with its partners and addressing concerns through appropriate and lawful channels. On Wednesday, the company was already in discussion with a group of service partners inside its office premises. During this time, a larger group comprising individuals who were not Urban Company service partners arrived and began blocking access to the building, impacting entry and movement for employees of other organisations housed there. As entry is restricted to authorised visitors, the building’s facility team intervened to help restore access, and when attempts were made to enter restricted premises, the police were called by the UC team to help manage the situation and ensure safety,” it said.
The clash came mere days after leading quick commerce firms dropped their ’10 minute delivery’ branding amid intense backlash. Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had also issued a directive earlier this month asking brands to focus on rider safety by ditching rigid 10-minute delivery promises.
Why are gig workers protesting against Urban Company?
Urban Company had begun dabbling in ‘instant’ services with a 15-minute wait time last year. It began with a pilot project in Mumbai that provided house help for tasks such cleaning, mopping, cooking, and utensil washing. According to reports, the concept has now been expanded to include instant beauty services in select neighbourhoods of Bengaluru.
Gig workers complain that they have been ‘pushed’ to accept 15-minute bookings (rather than having 90 minutes to prepare and reach the home of the customer).
“It is impossible to reach anywhere in Bengaluru within that time. If we take 15-minute sessions, the company provides an extra Rs 2,000 for travel. Most of us depend on autos and cabs, and booking an auto sometimes takes 15 minutes. It puts a lot of pressure on us,” one of the workers told Deccan Herald.
Protests rage across India
Thousands of gig workers have led protests across India this week — highlighting unsafe working conditions, arbitrary penalties, and a lack of labour protections. They also held a nationwide strike on New Year’s Eve to draw attention to workers’ health, safety and income.
Escalating pressure from government and labour rights groups have also wrought changes this month — with Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, and Flipkart Minutes all scrapping their ’10-minute’ delivery branding.