BigBasket, Urban Company lead in platform worker conditions

The report Fairwork India Ratings 2024, released by the Centre for IT and Public Policy (CITAPP) at IIIT Bangalore in collaboration with Oxford University, highlights the challenging conditions faced by platform workers in India. The sixth annual report evaluated 11 major platforms, including Amazon Flex, BigBasket, Swiggy, Uber, and Zomato, on key labour standards to assess their treatment of workers. The report pointed out a considerable gap in workers’ rights within the gig economy, specifically highlighting the absence of collective bargaining and the lack of formal recognition for workers’ unions across all platforms.

The Fairwork India Ratings 2024 report ranked BigBasket, Urban Company, Swiggy, and Zomato as the leading platforms in India’s gig economy, each earning 6 out of 10 points for fair work practices. However, the report also highlights a concerning shift towards “de-flexibilisation,” with many platforms introducing ‘rigid, slot-based’ work systems that limit worker autonomy.

The study conducted by International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B), assessed 11 digital platforms on five key principles: fair pay, conditions, contracts, management, and representation. It gathered insights from interviews with 440 workers across cities such as Bangalore, Delhi, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, and Chennai, which was included for the first time.

As per the report, while BigBasket and Urban Company were the only platforms ensuring workers earned at least the local minimum wage after expenses, none guaranteed a living wage. Seven platforms, including Swiggy, BigBasket, and BluSmart, provided sufficient safety equipment, while five—Swiggy, Zomato, BigBasket, Urban Company, and Zepto—offered accident insurance at no extra cost.

BluSmart scored 5 points, Amazon Flex 4, and Zepto 2. Flipkart managed only 1 point, while Ola, Porter, and Uber scored none. A significant issue raised in the report was the lack of collective bargaining or formal union recognition for workers across all platforms.

Nevertheless, some platforms are working to improve conditions. The report stated that Swiggy is set to implement measures ensuring workers earn at least the minimum hourly wage after costs, benefiting up to 400,000 workers. Zomato is introducing a feedback channel called ‘Catalyst’ to address worker concerns. BluSmart now offers free accident insurance and has introduced policies to safeguard workers’ employment status when returning from leave.

BigBasket and Amazon have rolled out anti-discrimination measures, including blocking customers who mistreat workers. Zepto and Zomato are conducting external audits to reduce potential algorithmic biases against workers.

The report emphasizes the importance of setting minimum standards in platform-worker relationships, highlighting that ensuring basic protections doesn’t require changing workers’ employment status, as seen in examples from other countries. According to Professor Balaji Parthasarathy, the report’s lead author, platforms have significant control over the jobs they facilitate, and poor working conditions in the platform economy are not unavoidable.