Report by a Correspondent of the Mazdoor Ekta Committee
On 19 August, all app-based cab, auto-rickshaw, and bike riders in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, staged a militant protest to demand fare hikes, a reduction in application fees, social security, and other measures.
Prior to this, all app-based workers—including cab, auto-rickshaw, and bike riders—had stopped work on 17 August and held a rally starting from Raj Mahal Chowk. The police resorted to a lathi-charge against the workers to disperse the protest.
The number of app-based workers has been steadily rising over the past decade. Auto-rickshaw drivers, bike riders, taxi drivers, delivery personnel, and porters—all these workers purchase their own vehicles (cars, autos, or bikes), register with an app, and work for these platforms. They receive no fixed salary, nor do they get benefits such as ESI, PF, or gratuity. These workers bear the costs of their vehicles, fuel, maintenance, insurance, and mobile phones and data recharges themselves. They are compelled to work day and night, regardless of the weather—be it winter, summer, or the monsoon.
Domestic and foreign capitalists running these app-based companies rake in immense profits. In collusion with the government, these companies effectively plunder the hard-earned income of the workers.
The demands of the app-based workers are entirely just.