Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi took an Uber ride and chatted with the taxi driver to raise awareness about the plight of gig workers in India. The Congress MP shared a video on social media platforms with the caption “ Aamdani kum aur mehengai se nikalta dum- ye hain bharat k gig workers ki vythaa“Low income and crushing inflation – this is the plight of gig workers in India.”
Rahul Gandhi took an Uber ride with taxi driver Sunil Upadhyay. The two chatted and Sunil Upadhyay said that he has been driving a taxi for five years.
Rahul Gandhi said he spoke to Sunil Upadhyay about the plight of gig workers like delivery workers and taxi drivers during an Uber ride. “I met his family to discuss the issues faced by gig workers like taxi drivers and delivery workers in the country,” Gandhi added.
“They are struggling to survive because they have to live hand to mouth with no savings and no basis for their family’s future,” concluded Rahul Gandhi. “The Congress state governments should do justice by taking concrete measures to address these problems,” the LoP added.
Yes !
सुनील उपाध्याय जी के साथ एक Uber यात्रा के दौरान ्चा में और फिर उनके परिवार से मिल कर देश के Cab drivers और Delivery agents Gig workers
‘हैंड टू माउथ इनकम’ में इनका गुज़ारा… pic.twitter.com/46y9o1Iul8
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) 19 August 2024
While riding in Uber, driver Sunil Upadhyay told Rahul Gandhi, “I have been driving a taxi for five years. Earlier, I used to work in a company. Since my marriage, I have been driving a taxi. I drive a taxi for two days at a time. Earlier, when the CAG was Rs 30, the taxi still ran at the same rate and now it is Rs 95, but still at the same rate. In 2011-12, the taxi business was very good. Back then, the company was paying even Rs 10,000.”
Before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi had promised gig workers a guaranteed first job and social security. He had assured gig workers social security and a ₹5,000 crore ‘Yuva Roshni’ fund for startups.
On August 11, officials said that a staggering number of Indians face financial difficulties due to disability, with hundreds of thousands of people affected by temporary or permanent disabilities each year.
The officials stressed that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman should recognise this critical gap in financial security. One of them, P Nanda Gopal, founder and CEO of Upsure, stressed the urgent need for DIP plans for vulnerable groups like daily wage earners and gig workers.
In 2023, Ola, Porter, Uber, Dunzo, Amazon Flex and Flipkart were reported to be the worst performers on parameters related to fair work and conditions among gig workers.
Of the 12 digital platforms evaluated by the Fairwork India team, only BigBasket, a Tata-owned company, achieved the maximum score of 6 out of 10 in five principles (fair pay, fair conditions, fair contract, fair management and fair representation) for gig workers.
BluSmart, Swiggy, Urban Company and Zomato scored five points and Zepto scored four.
Notably, the Rajasthan Assembly led by Ashok Gehlot had passed a bill in 2023 to set up a welfare committee and a fund for platform-based gig workers in the state and to facilitate social security for them.
