Women gig workers demand implementation of new legislation

Demanding immediate implementation of the recently passed Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025, hundreds of women gig workers of Urban Company held a gate meeting at the company’s Karnataka headquarters here on Thursday.

The women workers, who sought urgent redressal of the alleged exploitative practices, have been raising concerns over arbitrary ID blocking, unfair rating systems, forced product purchases, job allocations in far-off areas without compensation, and lack of grievance redressal against harassment and abuse from customers.

“The continued neglect of partner/worker concerns is unacceptable, and therefore we were compelled to hold a peaceful gate meeting. This urgent action is in direct response to the new measures introduced under the Partner Onboarding Workshop (POW), particularly the stricter cancellation policy where one cancellation is now counted as two, forcing partners to complete 100 jobs instead of 50 to make up for a single cancellation,” said a statement issued by the Gig and Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU).

The workers called on company management to immediately sit down for a structured dialogue with elected worker representatives and implement the provisions of the new Karnataka law without delay.