Blinkit gig workers go on strike demanding better pay, cotton uniforms: report

Around 150 Blinkit gig workers went on a strike in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh this weekend demanding fair pay, better working conditions and cotton uniforms for the summer. They now claim that the Zomato-owned grocery delivery platform responded by blocking their IDs – citing the strike as the reason – and made them sign an agreement to have their IDs unblocked.

HT.com has reached out to Blinkit for a response. This copy will be updated when the company responds.

Blinkit workers’ demands

Nirmal Gorana, National Coordinator, Gig and Platform Services Workers Union, told Deccan Herald that Blinkit suspended 150 delivery executives in retaliation for their two-day strike on Saturday and Sunday.

The gig workers were demanding an end to mandatory work hours between 12 to 4 pm, an increase in minimum wage, and basic amenities like shaded waiting areas and drinking water, Gorana said.

Visuals shared on social media by the Gig and Platform Services Workers Union (GIPSWU) show a group of Blinkit gig workers – dressed in their signature yellow uniform – holding up a placard demanding that the company stop harassing its riders.

The gig workers are demanding an “end to mandatory work between 12-4 pm and cotton uniforms for the summer, among other things.

On Reddit, a person who claims to have worked for Zomato explained that the company offers incentives based on delivery time and the number of deliveries a rider completes.

“Day shift incentives are more ( 500 for dinner's 350 ) but order delivery required is more ( 27 for dinner's 17 ). Two shifts are mandatory, 3+ hours in 12 to 4pm shift and 8pm to 10pm, to be eligible for day shift incentives,” the person said, adding this might explain why Blinkit workers are demanding an end to mandatory shifts.

Blinkit suspends gig workers

GIPSWU claims that Blinkit has suspended the riders involved in the protest. They were also asked to sign an agreement “allowing Blinkit to take any action if they stage any protest in the future,” Deccan Herald reported.

Blinkit workers were made to sign documents that did not carry the company’s letterhead or contain any contractual details. In addition, they were asked to record a video holding the document and declaring their agreement to its contents. DH has reviewed a copy of the document.

“On April 26, 2025, 150 Blinkit workers in Shri Ram Colony, Varanasi, UP went on strike. Instead of addressing the workers' concerns, Blinkit management accused them and, when operations were disrupted, blocked the IDs of approximately 150 workers, citing the strike as the reason,” GIPSWU wrote on X.

“On April 27, 2025, a company representative threatened the striking workers with police action and demanded they sign affidavits vowing to never strike again. The workers remain resolute in their demands,” it added.