When gig and delivery workers demanded a national strike on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, the eve of New Year 2026, the large industry players in the sector had been taken by surprise. As it was reported, online food delivery services Zomato and Swiggy have made a hasty announcement on the evening before New Year fearing interruptions in their deliveries. The two firms have now been paying more to the gig workers.
According to the reports, online food delivery companies Zomato and Swiggy will offer increased incentives to their delivery partners. This is a norm during festivals to ensure that there is a minimal interference of services on New Years Eve taking into account the strike calls by gig workers unions.
Companies Grow Concerned
It is remarkable that the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) and the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) had announced that lakhs of employees would take part in a country-wide strike to raise wages and enhance wages and conditions.
According to the industry sources, the strike has the potential to disrupt the operations of food delivery and quick commerce companies like Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Instamart, and Zepto on the New Year Eve. This is one of the biggest concerns of companies since at this time the demand is very high.
Zomato’s Offer
On the New Year eve, Zomato has given delivery associates 120-150 per order between the 6 PM to 12 midnight which is the peak time. Sources close to the decision reported that the platform has also guaranteed incomes of up to 3000 in a day based on the quantity of orders and accessibility of workers.
Moreover, Zomato has postponed fines on order rejection and cancellations. A spokesperson of the parent company of Zomato Eternal said on a report by PTI that this is one of the standard operating procedures in the peak demand festive and year-end seasons.
Swiggy Strengthens Bonuses.
Similarly to Zomato, swiggy has boosted bonuses at the end of the year. People who have knowledge of the development claim that Swiggy has provided the delivery workers with revenues up to 10,000 between December 31 and January 1.
They further noted that on New Year’s Eve the platform will be delivering up to 2000 in peak-hour revenues in a six-hour duration between 6 PM to 12 midnight to guarantee enough riders availability in one of the busiest of the year ordering periods.
