Hands that Deliver Food are Struggling to Feed Themselves Samriddhi Sakunia September 5, 2021 https://janataweekly.org/hands-that-deliver-food-are-struggling-to-feed-themselves/ On September 23, 2020, to cover the gig workers and an attempt to give them some sense of social security, the Lok Sabha passed the Code on Social Security. The Union government has yet to notify the bill and has not issued any directions to the states. The draft rules for the Code includes benefits such as a disability cover, accident insurance, health and maternity benefits, and companies’ contribution to a social security fund.
Despite the codes defining a gig worker as an employee who earns a living outside of a “traditional employer-employee relationship” and providing them social security benefits—income security and health insurance—the condition of employees of online food platforms, like Zomato and Swiggy, hasn’t changed. Besides, the codes also permit an employer to hire and fire employees.
Since the codes have still not been implemented, their exploitation has increased with the restaurant business taking a devastating hit during the pandemic. Besides, the delivery executives have also been impacted by the change in remuneration models of food delivery companies