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More than 32,000 tech workers have been laid off in the US till July this year, including at Big Tech companies like <keyword id="10387" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="microsoft" source="Orion">Microsoft</keyword> and <keyword id="399907" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="meta" source="Orion">Meta</keyword> (formerly Facebook) and the worst has not been over yet for the tech sector that has seen massive stock sell-off. According to the data compiled by Crunchbase, more than 32,000 workers in the US tech sector have been laid off in mass job cuts, as of late July. "We've included both startups and publicly traded companies that are based in the US. We've also included companies based elsewhere that have a sizable team in the United States, such as Klarna," the analysis said. The layoff includes ride-sharing platform Uber, <keyword id="128682" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="netflix" source="Orion">Netflix</keyword> and several cryptocurrency exchanges and lending platforms. Robinhood, <keyword id="4522875" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="glossier" source="Orion">Glossier</keyword> and Better are just a few of the tech companies that have trimmed their headcount this year. Since April 1 this year, more than 43,000 workers from 342 tech companies/startups have been laid off across the world and over 13 per cent are from <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>, according to latest data compiled by layoffs.fyi, a website that tracks layoffs in startups. In India, more than 25,000 startup workers have lost jobs since the pandemic began -- and more than 11,500 have been fired this year. The layoffs in India are dominated by edtech platforms like Unacademy (1,150 employees), BYJU'S (550 at Toppr and <keyword id="8080458" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="whitehat-jr" source="Orion">Whitehat Jr</keyword>) and <keyword id="2016957" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="vedantu" source="Orion">Vedantu</keyword> (624), along with ride-hailing platform <keyword id="6354720" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ola" source="Orion">Ola</keyword> (nearly 500), healthcare startup MFine (600) and pre-owned cars platform Cars24 (600), among others. The other Indian startups and unicorns that have laid off employees are Meesho, MPL, Trell and Blinkit (now owned by <keyword id="830092" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="zomato" source="Orion">Zomato</keyword>), among others. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/amazon-great-freedom-festival-date-announced-sale-starts-august-6-onwards/articleshow/93268050.cms">Amazon Great Freedom Festival date announced - sale starts August 6 onwards</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/swine-flu-resurfaces-in-keralas-wayanad-first-time-in-kannur/articleshow/93267832.cms">Swine flu resurfaces in Kerala's Wayanad, first time in Kannur</a>

Over 32K tech workers fired in US, more than 11K in India this year

Zomato-owned quick commerce platform <keyword id="12724311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="blinkit" source="Orion">Blinkit</keyword> has shut down over 100 dark kitchens in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida, and Greater Noida for the past three days due to the ongoing delivery worker strikes, and it is expected that a larger number of stores will also go offline in the coming days, according to reports. Delivery executives are opposing a change in their compensation system, which they allege will result in lower profits. The media reports said that about 50-60 stores in Gurugram have closed, with more closures expected in Noida and Delhi as the new fee structure is implemented. In addition, customers in the region have been facing difficulties placing orders at offline stores that use the Blinkit app. These locations are currently marked as 'temporarily unavailable' due to ongoing maintenance, which has prompted several customers to voice their concerns on social media. Blinkit operates approximately 400 dark stores in 20 cities throughout the country, with a significant presence in the Delhi-NCR region, where half of its stores are located. Meanwhile, Zomato's consolidated loss widened to Rs 346.6 crore (year-on-year) for the quarter that ended December 31, against a loss of Rs 63 crore in the same period last year, the company said. The company said that adjusted revenue witnessed a 66 per cent growth to Rs 2,363 crore (YoY). "We think that the current slowdown is a result of a few temporary factors -- macro slowdown for the mid-market segment, boom in dining out for the premium-end, and boom in travel at the premium-end," he said in the company's earnings results. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbis-mpc-decisively-in-a-rate-pause-territory-as-inflation-cools-down/articleshow/99497132.cms">RBI's MPC 'decisively' in a rate-pause mode as inflation cools down</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/zepto-preps-for-public-listing-in-2-years-brings-in-ramesh-bafna-as-cfo-to-lead-ipo-process/articleshow/99514143.cms">Zepto preps for public listing in 2 years; Brings in Ramesh Bafna as CFO to lead IPO process</a>

Over 100 Blinkit dark kitchens shut in Delhi-NCR due to delivery boys' strike

While <keyword id="6354720" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola" source="Orion">Ola</keyword> and tech-enabled logistics company <keyword id="67819" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="porter" source="Orion">Porter</keyword> scored zero on a scale of 1-10, <keyword id="1042120" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="uber" source="Orion">Uber</keyword> and <keyword id="3275685" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dunzo" source="Orion">Dunzo</keyword> received only one point, according to the 'Fairwork India 2023' report, spearheaded by the Centre for IT and Public Policy (CITAPP) at International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B), in association with Oxford University. The report evaluated 12 platforms offering location-based services in sectors such as domestic and personal care, logistics, food delivery and transportation, in the country. This year, the report was structured around the theme of discrimination and alienation that often come up in experiences shared by platform workers. In a year that has seen the formulation of a significant regulation based on inputs from workers called The Rajasthan Platform Based <keyword id="7771650" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gig-workers" source="Orion">Gig workers</keyword> (Registration and Welfare Act, 2023, "we hope that highlighting the experiences of workers will point to the structural changes that platforms, consumers and the state alike will need to undertake if the platform economy is to offer its workers decent work," said Professors Balaji Parthasarathy and Janaki Srinivasan, principal investigators. Fairwork assessed platforms against five principles: Fair Pay, Fair Conditions, Fair Contracts, Fair Management, and Fair Representation. Each principle was broken down into two points: a first point and a second point that can only be awarded if the first point has been fulfilled. The report looked at 12 platforms, including Amazon Flex, Bigbasket, BluSmart, Dunzo, Flipkart, Ola, Porter, Swiggy, Uber, Urban Company, Zepto and Zomato. No platform scored more than six out of the maximum of 10 points, and none scored all the first points across the five principles. In its first year of participation, ride-hailing platform aggregator BluSmart scored higher than more established platforms in its sector, with 5 points out of 10. "There is room for cautious optimism that BluSmart's operational model might represent a step towards better conditions for drivers in the platform economy," the report mentioned. Bigbasket, Flipkart and Urban Company were the only platforms with a minimum wage policy to ensure that all their workers earn at least the hourly local minimum wage after factoring in work-related costs. "No platform made the second point of the Fair Pay principle, which requires platforms to provide sufficient evidence that workers earn at least the local living wage after work-related costs," the findings showed. Under the 'Fair Conditions' principle of providing adequate safety equipment and periodic safety training to their workers, Bigbasket, Swiggy, Urban Company, Zepto and Zomato were awarded the second point. Bigbasket, BluSmart, Urban Company, Zepto, and Zomato met the requirements for the second point under 'Fair Contracts' by adopting a change notification clause in their contracts, reducing asymmetries in liability, adopting a code of conduct for their subcontractors, and making the variables of pricing transparent where dynamic pricing was used. Under the 'Fair Management' principle, there was sufficient evidence only from BluSmart and Swiggy to meet the second point. "No platform could be awarded a point for 'Fair Representation' principle this year," said the report.

Ola, Porter, Uber & Dunzo worst digital platforms for gig workers: Report

Tech platform for frontline workforce management <keyword id="3156551" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="betterplace" source="Orion">BetterPlace</keyword> on Tuesday announced to acquire <keyword id="14078129" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="okaygo" source="Orion">OkayGo</keyword>, an on-demand blue-collared gig workforce management platform, for an undisclosed sum. With this move, BetterPlace said it aims to reduce the cost of hiring for enterprises by 15-20 per cent by providing them a pool of pre-skilled and pre-verified workers ready to be deployed for short-term tasks. "Despite having a large employable pool, enterprises in India are now facing an acute shortage of skilled workforce. The only way to solve this problem is to provide a mutually beneficial marketplace geared towards enabling people to be gainfully employed," said <keyword id="2935823" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="pravin-agarwala" source="Orion">Pravin Agarwala</keyword>, Co-founder and CEO at BetterPlace. Through a marketplace model, OkayGo and BetterPlace will enable frontline workers to increase their daily and hourly earnings an average of 25-30 per cent. "We started OkayGo with a clear vision to empower half a billion people to get flexible gig-opportunities and provide businesses with high quality talent instantly. BetterPlace would provide us a fillip to achieve our vision," said <keyword id="14078130" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="tomonaga-tejima" source="Orion">Tomonaga Tejima</keyword>, Co-founder at OkayGo. Founded in 2015, BetterPlace has onboarded over 1,500 companies to date. Founded in 2019, OkayGo focuses on increasing earnings per hour of frontline gig workers. Its clients include companies like Flipkart, Swiggy, <keyword id="830092" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="zomato" source="Orion">Zomato</keyword>, Jiomart, Zepto and Apollo. Over the past two years, OkayGo said it has increased earnings for more than 10,000 frontline workers. OkayGo is BetterPlace's fourth acquisition so far as it acquired Oust Labs, Aasaanjobs and Waah Jobs in October last year. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="http://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/german-inflation-rate-hits-highest-level-since-70s-oil-crisis/articleshow/91911033.cms">German inflation rate hits highest level since 70s oil crisis</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="http://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/researchers-identify-rise-in-neurological-condition-guillain-barre-syndrome-following-astrazeneca-vaccine/articleshow/91911722.cms">Researchers identify rise in neurological condition 'Guillain-Barre syndrome' following AstraZeneca vaccine</a>

Blue-collar workforce management platform ﻿BetterPlace aquires OkayGo, aims to provide pre-skilled workers in India

<ul><li>Even though the ‘<keyword id="3080230" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gig-economy" source="Orion">gig economy</keyword> workforce’ is a new concept, the <keyword id="37465" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="film-industry" source="Orion">film industry</keyword> has been working with such a model for decades.</li><li>The Indian film industry employed over 2.5 lakh people in 2017 alone.</li><li>Despite the unionisation of the Indian film industry that protects the rights of freelancers, there are a lot of issues left to be dealt with.</li></ul>Gig workforce is the hottest new trend that has emerged with the rise of the digital economy leading to the advent of companies like Zomato, Swiggy and <keyword id="8681398" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="urban-company" source="Orion">Urban Company</keyword>. Widely overlooked, but the concept of hiring contractual employees has been around for decades, if not centuries. That’s right. The Indian film industry has been one of the biggest employers of gig economy workers since its beginning. The Indian film industry employed over <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/731218/employment-in-the-film-industry-india/">2.5 lakh </a>people in 2017 alone. Business Insider hosted Academy Award winner and Indian film producer Guneet Monga and Urban Company’s cofounder Varun Khaitan in its Future of Work event — held on September 16 and 17 — to throw more light on the topic. Monga said that the film industry in general has been employing several freelancers for decades, whether it is light boys, dancers, junior artists, art directors, cinematographers and more. The term <keyword id="7771650" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gig-workers" source="Orion">gig workers</keyword> has come up with the advent of the digital economy. “It can seem unstructured, but it actually works very well in the <keyword id="278613" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="freelance" source="Orion">freelance</keyword> business there… There is a union in this segment and that brings about a structure. But there are also some major challenges that come with it,” she added. She elaborated that the many freelancers have spoken about how difficult it is to get into the union or how expensive it is. Besides this, the segment does not get health benefits, does not come under labour codes and more, even though the payments are fixed due to the existence of a union. Watch More: What film producer Guneet Monga talks about unionisation in Indian film industry and what challenges it presents <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> Khaitan, on the other hand, elaborated how Urban Company, an at-home services startup, has managed to overcome such challenges in the beauty and home segment. He noted that a salon or a service shop would employ 10-15 professionals and were essentially the “middlemen”, therefore a professional’s income would be capped. Urban Company has not only offered a more flexible working environment, but also increased their take home income and offered them health benefits. Khaitan also noted that allowing these service professionals to get in touch with customers directly has provided them with more respect and business prepositions as well. “There is actually a very high price point here [Indian film industry] even to become a part of the Union. And then there is a supply of enough and more people are constantly getting inducted, but there is definitely a bottleneck on how unions function. They do protect them [freelancers] in terms of providing for jobs, but the kind of structures that you [Urban Company] are talking about is still, I feel, not in the best shape here right now. And this has just been our industry that has been thriving on freelance,” Monga added. She elaborated that while the Indian film industry has been striving for freelancers, it's not with a vision of bringing people together or offering insurance or health benefits or looking into labour laws. Watch More: What Urban Company’s Varun Khaitan had to say on the current conditions of freelancers in Indian film industry <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> Khaitan, sharing his experience, said “There are middlemen who claim to be good representatives and good samaritans of the workers, but are actually not. They are in some sense the heart of the problem, because a few things that just came up in this chat show there is no sense of balance between supply and demand in what is happening across the trade in the film industry and what that leads to is there is no sense of actual monthly earnings. So everyone just fights for what I can make on this job and it leads to an unheadly spiral.” SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/the-only-way-to-beat-the-bots-from-taking-your-job-is-to-be-more-human/articleshow/86282273.cms">Future of Work 2021: The only way to beat the bots from taking your job is to be more human</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/easemytrip-touches-market-cap-of-a-billion-dollars/articleshow/86285130.cms">EaseMyTrip touches market cap of a billion dollars</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/biocon-hero-motocorp-tvs-motor-banks-and-other-top-stocks-to-watch-out-for-on-september-17/articleshow/86281250.cms">Biocon, Hero MotoCorp, TVS Motor, banks and other top stocks to watch out for on September 17</a>

Here is what the Indian film industry can learn from gig economy firms like Zomato and Urban Company

<ul><li>The Indian Federation of App-based Transport workers (IFAT) have filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking social security benefits.</li><li>They demanded that gig workers should be considered as “unorganised workers”, which will make their employers liable to pay them certain benefits.</li><li>The lack of employment contracts between gig workers and new age platforms does not mean there is no employer-employee relationship, the petition read.</li></ul>Some of India’s gig workers — associated with new age firms like Uber, Ola, Zomato and Swiggy — are seeking government intervention to help them overcome the impact of the pandemic and make their employers pay for it. The Indian Federation of App-based Transport workers (IFAT) filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court two days ago, seeking their inclusion as “unorganised workers” or “wage workers” within the Unorganised Workers Social Welfare Security Act, 2008. The association, in collaboration with concerned individuals and organisations, noted that the denial of social security to gig workers and “platform workers’ has resulted in their exploitation through forced labour. The transport gig workers, in the petition accessed by Business Insider, noted that the failure to register them as unorganised workers or provide them with social security is violating their right to life and personal liberty as well as right to equality. They also added that app-based companies — Zomato, Swiggy, Uber, Ola and others — currently claim that they are in partnership with gig workers, therefore there is no contract of employment between the two parties. Hence, they want their hands off any responsibility or accountability over the lives and livelihood of the contractual workers associated with them. “The mere fact that their employers call themselves “aggregators” and enter into the so-called “partnership agreements” does not take away the fact that there exists a jural relationship of employer and employee; master and servant and worker within the meaning of all applicable laws,” the petition read. IFAT added that the contracts were made in a way to disguise the nature of the relations between the gig workers and these apps. They also cited a recent Supreme Court ruling in the United Kingdom, which <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-reclassify-uk-drivers-minimum-wage-benefits-supreme-court-defeat-2021-3">stated</a> that Uber Drivers are in fact workers in the company and are entitled to certain benefits. The workers’ association added that the transport gig workers in India are struggling with decreasing income, increasing fuel prices, immense pressure from loan recovery agents as well as state officials, who too are trying to make a living in this pandemic. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/zee-entertainment-merges-with-sony-pictures/articleshow/86416420.cms">Marriage Story! Zee gets a white knight in Sony</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/infosys-hdfc-bank-vedanta-and-other-top-stocks-to-watch-out-for-on-september-22/slidelist/86415930.cms">Zee Entertainment, Infosys, HDFC Bank and other top stocks to watch out for on September 22</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/zee-entertainment-shares-hits-upper-circuit-after-two-independent-directors-resign-on-investors-demand/articleshow/86189814.cms">Zee Entertainment hits 33% after two independent directors resign on investor’s demand</a>

Gig workers move Supreme Court seeking social security benefits from Zomato, Swiggy, Ola and Uber

<ul><li><keyword id="830092" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="zomato" source="Orion">Zomato</keyword> has accused that it is taking necessary steps to ensure the safety of their partners and not put them under pressure.</li><li>IFAT is an association of 35,000 service professionals working with Zomato, Swiggy, Uber, Ola and others.</li><li>The company will start its 10-minute delivery operation in Gurugram from next month.</li></ul>Even as Zomato is celebrating its entry into the 10-minute food delivery space, the delivery partners — who are going to be executing it on the ground — do not seem too excited about it. The Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT) and Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) have called out the company for not fixing current issues in their system. The association has urged the company to treat their delivery partners as human beings. Shaik Salauddin, the national general secretary of IFAT and the founder state head of TGPWU, noted, “Zomato in most of the cases has not been able to resolve issues like leaked meals, which arises from faulty packaging and executing fast delivery. As a result delivery partners/workers have been penalised quite a few times. While planning to provide 10-min [sic] deliveries to its customers Zomato needs to resolve these issues and concerns of the workers.” “Further we urge Zomato to look [at] their delivery workers as human beings [as they] are more than data points for the algorithm to manage,” he added. Notably, IFAT is an association of 35,000 service professionals working with Zomato, Swiggy, Uber, Ola and others. He further noted that the company should take care of the issues and the concerns raised by the delivery partners before it assures the customers of “lightning fast” delivery. The company also needs to provide resting areas, access to bathrooms, charging stations and wifi access to its delivery partners before starting “finishing stations” for quick delivery in Gurugram, the association added. This is not the first time that someone has raised issues with the 10-minute delivery model. Previously, a netizen raised a petition to<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/swiggy-dunzo-zepto-and-grofers-should-roll-back-10-minute-delivery-says-petition/articleshow/89900739.cms"> urge companies like Swiggy, Blinkit (Grofers), Zepto and Dunzo</a> to do away with their 10-minute delivery services. The petition noted that the 10-minute delivery services adds extra pressure on delivery partners, who have to resort to overspeeding and traffic rule violations to fulfill these orders on time as well as avoid being penalised by the platforms. IFAT had also agreed to the content of the petition. Zomato has mentioned that it will not be showing the delivery time to delivery partners or penalising them for late delivery. The company has taken this step to ensure the safety of their partners and not put them under pressure. The company will roll its 10-minute delivery service in Gurugram next month and later look to expand to other cities. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/explained-here-is-how-zomatos-10-minute-delivery-would-work/articleshow/90376193.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">EXPLAINED: Here is how Zomato’s 10-minute delivery would work</a> <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/zomato-share-price-dip-after-company-announces-10-minute-delivery-plans/articleshow/90367659.cms">Zomato's 10-minute delivery fails to cheer stock market investors</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/petrol-and-diesel-prices-hiked-after-more-than-four-months-lpg-price-goes-up-by-50-in-delhi-and-mumbai/articleshow/90366409.cms">Petrol and diesel prices hiked after more than four months, LPG price goes up by ₹50 in Delhi and Mumbai</a>

Partners’ association tells Zomato to see delivery executives as human beings

<ul><li>Section 80JJAA of the Income Tax Act gives deduction for three years to employers for hiring new people.</li><li>The current limit of this provision is ₹300,000 a year that effectively means that the compensation of these people should be less than ₹25,000.</li><li>If the limit is increased, it could help in boosting the salaries of and the number of jobs for gig workers.</li></ul>One of the major concerns raised by the gig workers — such as <keyword id="4235145" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="delivery-partners" source="Orion">delivery partners</keyword>, drivers and more — who work for companies like Zomato, Swiggy, BigBasket and Blinkit (Grofers), is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/bigbasket-flipkart-and-urban-company-may-have-paid-fair-wages-but-it-wasnt-enough-to-earn-a-living/articleshow/88946309.cms">the lack of decent compensation</a>. But what if we were to tell you that if an existing provision of the Income Tax Act is clarified and amended, it could raise salaries for the gig workers. Under Section 80JJAA provision of the Indian Income Tax Act, companies can get a tax deduction for hiring new people. If a company’s workforce increased by 50, the salary paid to these employees would make the company eligible for an additional deduction of 30% for the next three financial years, Hemal Zobalia, Partner at Deloitte Haskins &amp; Sells LLP explains. For example, if the company is paying ₹1000 annually to each of these 50 employees, it will get ₹300 as tax deduction for each of them for each of the next three years. Essentially, 90% of the first year’s salary, for each of the new employees, will be deducted from the company’s taxable profit. The goal of this provision is to create more permanent employment for those who are “low-skilled”, according to Jimit Devani, a partner at Deloitte Haskins &amp; Sells. The provision is applicable for employees whose salaries are ₹25,000 per month or less.Increasing the salary limit to ₹35,000-₹40,000 may push more companies to hire permanent employees instead of contractual ones. Meanwhile, Zobalia is of the belief that this would also help in further increasing their payout and salaries. But there is a bigger challenge here. This is not a widely availed incentive by the companies for several reasons. First, companies prefer to hire people on contract and keep them on a third party’s payroll. Such companies cannot avail tax benefit under the 88JJAA provision. Bringing people on to the payroll makes them eligible for other benefits like pension, insurance, and severance to name a few, Devani said. The third parties, however, do avail these tax benefits for employees that have been on their payroll for at least eight months, Devani added. The second issue with this provision is that the benefit is available only on the net addition of employees. Say, a company has a total of 10 employees. Five of them quit the company in a year, and six more are hired in the same year. While the company has six new employees, the net addition to the workforce is only one. And, so, the tax rebate is available only for one additional employee, and not all six. Improving this provision under the income tax law may go a long way in creating sustainable employment for people with less-valued skills, across a range of industries including the gig economy of which the likes of Zomato, Swiggy, Amazon and Flipkart are part of. The current state of salaries in the gig economy As per <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/urban-company-ola-uber-are-not-the-best-places-for-gig-workers/articleshow/88561764.cms">Fairwork India report of 2021</a>, most newage digital platforms — including Zomato, Swiggy, Uber, Dunzo, PharmEasy and Ola — do not offer fair wages to the contractual workers associated with them. Even though companies like Flipkart, Urban Company and BigBasket pay higher and better, it still may not be enough to make local living wage after costs, the report adds. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Avg income range, including cost </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Flipkart </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹14,500-₹25,000 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Urban Company </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹30,000* </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">BigBasket </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹18,000-₹24,000 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Zomato </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹20,000-₹30,000 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Swiggy </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹10,000-₹15,000 </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>Note: Urban Company’s average salary excludes cost Source: Urban Company’s latest report, Apna.co It is important to note that there has been a further reduction in the payout for delivery executives due to decrease in rate cards and incentives, along with increased input costs of petrol and platform commissions. This has made matters worse for the Indian gig workers like delivery partners and drivers, the Fairwork report adds. Fairwork rates digital platforms on their treatment of gig workers who work for them. SEE ALSO <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2022-why-income-tax-slabs-may-not-change-this-year/articleshow/89179572.cms">Budget expectations 2022: Here’s why income tax slabs may not change this year</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/the-indian-government-has-spent-less-than-half-the-money-it-had-budgeted-for-capital-investments-so-far/articleshow/88852518.cms">The Indian government has spent less than half the money it had budgeted for capital investments, so far</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2022-expectation-in-higher-standard-deduction-tax-slabs-and-covid-insurance/slidelist/88891751.cms">From higher standard deduction and change in tax slabs to clarity on Covid insurance, here’s what tax experts want from Budget 2022</a>

There’s a way government can prod Zomato, Swiggy, Uber and Ola to increase salaries of delivery partners and drivers

<ul><li>After Zomato’s Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif ads drew mixed reactions on social media, it has now released a statement clarifying that the campaign was conceptualised 6 months ago.</li><li>The ads were called tone-deaf and Twitterati said that Zomato hired celebrities to divert the conversation around gig workers payouts and working conditions.</li><li>Zomato also said that it will soon upload a blog explaining how its delivery partners are fairly compensated for the work/time they put in.</li></ul>Zomato’s first-ever celebrity-led campaign has drawn mixed reactions on social media. Some declared that the campaign is creative, relatable and while a number of others said that it was released to simply control the damage caused by the controversial <keyword id="1725853" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="danish-sait" source="Orion">Danish Sait</keyword> video. Sait’s video drew flak from netizens for not depicting the realities of the profession, where he took on the roles of a Zomato delivery boy for a day in a bid to humanise the delivery personnel. <div type="Youtube" id="7zZmaO7s7oI" title="Zomato Delivery Partner for a day! Feat. Danish Sait 😍" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7zZmaO7s7oI/mqdefault.jpg"></div> However, Zomato has now released a statement on Twitter clarifying that the campaign featuring Katrina Kaif and Hrithik Roshan was conceptualised six months ago, ‘long before any social media chatter around gig worker payouts and working conditions.’ <div type="twitter" handle="zomato" handlename="zomato" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1100268333352525826/IkyIXuZ4_normal.png" favoritecount="450" retweetcount="50" status="The other side of the story... https://t.co/hNRj6TpK1X" createdat="1630325343000" id="1432314417954185220"></div> Conceptualised by <keyword id="137221" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mccann-worldgroup-india" source="Orion">McCann Worldgroup India</keyword>, ‘Har Customer Hai Star’ Campaign aims to convey that all consumers hold an equally special place in Zomato’s heart. <div type="Youtube" id="PpNdfDM4xhc" title="Har Customer Hai Star! Ft. Katrina Kaif" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PpNdfDM4xhc/mqdefault.jpg"></div> <div type="Youtube" id="dXirvvVXXWA" title="Har Customer Hai Star! Ft. Hrithik Roshan" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dXirvvVXXWA/mqdefault.jpg"></div> The campaign, however, was called ‘tone-deaf’ and some netizens said that Zomato hired celebrities to divert the conversation around gig worker payouts and working conditions. <div type="twitter" handle="Sankul333" handlename="Sankul Sonawane" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1383428089355522054/Vu_UwRkU_normal.jpg" favoritecount="1320" retweetcount="218" status="Instead of paying celebrities big money for ads to whitewash their horrible treatment of delivery staff, Zomato can… https://t.co/DLJl3l5bH2" createdat="1630050634000" id="1431162207811760130"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="PoojaPrasanna4" handlename="Pooja Prasanna" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1346493523541991424/p_wv_ASJ_normal.jpg" favoritecount="14674" retweetcount="2929" status="I don't want my groceries delivered in 10 or 20 minutes. I would rather that the delivery person takes his time to… https://t.co/8iMDt22DiK" createdat="1630099304000" id="1431366344197349382"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="peeleraja" handlename="peeleraja" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1429447980587753472/rrCBxmjY_normal.jpg" favoritecount="548" retweetcount="63" status="This ad is such a self own. Zomato essentially boasting of how their drivers are under pressure to deliver, rain or… https://t.co/mrXEbC3n2o" createdat="1630048563000" id="1431153522490310658"></div> According to Zomato’s statement, here is what the foodtech platform intended to achieve through its campaign: <ul><li>Make delivery partners the hero of the ad</li><li>Highlight that we should talk respectfully to delivery partners (like Hrithik and Katrina do in the ad, and very few other people do)</li><li>Raise the level of dignity associated with a delivery’s partner’s job</li><li>Demonstrate with pride which most of our delivery partners serve our customers with</li><li>Last but not least, reiterate that every customer is a star for us and no less than Hrithik or Katrina</li></ul>Zomato’s statement further addresses various concerns pointed out by Twitter users and mentions that its Net Promoter Score (NPS) has been increased from -10% to 28%. It also said that it will soon upload a blog explaining how its delivery partners are fairly compensated for the work/time they put in.

TV ads featuring Hrithik and Katrina were conceptualised 6 months ago: Clarifies Zomato after its campaign draws mixed reactions on social media

<ul><li><keyword id="3080230" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="gig-economy">Gig economy</keyword>, which constitutes for over 1.4 million working professionals in India, has added 40,000 more women gig workers, according to an ET report. </li><li>According to Employment Outlook Report by TeamLease Services, the total number of women gig workers in India stands at 67,900. </li><li>The wage bracket of such employees ranges from ₹15,000 to ₹30,000.</li></ul>More women are finding work, thanks to the increasing gig economy but they are being paid less, widening the gender parity. India’s 1.4 million strong gig economy added 40,000 women this year, according to an <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/women-bag-frontline-roles-in-gig-economy-but-lag-behind-in-wages/articleshow/70442660.cms?from=mdr">ET report.</a> But, they are making 10% less than men. On an average, women make an average of ₹15,000 to ₹30,000 per month in the newly emerging gig economy. According to Employment Outlook Report by TeamLease Services, the total number of women gig workers in India stands at 67,900 — including employees at delivery hubs and fulfillment centres. In 2017, the percentage of women in salaried jobs stood at nearly 52%, as per the data by <a href="http://www.mospi.gov.in/sites/default/files/publication_reports/Annual%20Report%2C%20PLFS%202017-18_31052019.pdf"> Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2017-18</a>. Startup Hiring Food-tech and <keyword id="35621" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-commerce">e-commerce</keyword> players such as Uber, Ola, <keyword id="830092" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zomato">Zomato</keyword> and Swiggy, account for nearly 90% of the total gig workers in India. It includes workforce that is remotely managed by online platforms. Walmart owned e-commerce platform Flipkart has around 300 women working at sorting centres, packaging and in charge of hubs. Flipkart offers the best wages and provides for safety and health at workplace for gig workers in India, as per <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/in-india-flipkart-tops-the-fairness-quotient-for-gig-economy-workers-report/articleshow/68593359.cms">Oxford Internet Institute</a>. It is followed by food delivery platform Foodpanda, cab services platform Ola and Uber. Food aggregators like Swiggy and Zomato too have female delivery partners, thanks to flexible working hours. Swiggy has over 700 women employees at its delivery hubs while Zomato has 500 all across. E-commerce platform Amazon has nearly 1,200 women employees in operational and managerial roles. India is the fifth largest country in terms of growth in flexi staff — which includes leased employees, contractual workers and temps hired from agencies. The country added nearly 1.2 million flexi workers in the last three years. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/in-india-flipkart-tops-the-fairness-quotient-for-gig-economy-workers-report/articleshow/68593359.cms">In India, Flipkart tops the ‘fairness’ quotient for gig economy workers: Report</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/6-million-indians-will-be-in-the-gig-economy-within-two-years-thats-nearly-twice-the-current-size/articleshow/69854133.cms">6 million Indians will be in the gig economy within two years -- that's nearly twice the current size</a>

Gig economy added 40,000 new women workers, but at low wages

Food delivery platform Zomato on Tuesday refuted reports that the company is in talks with Gurugram-based grocery delivery platform Grofers to acquire it for nearly $750 million. Flush with funds, Zomato has partnered Grofers for the delivery of essential items – along with other FMCG and grocery stores -- to meet the surge in demand amid social distancing and nationwide lockdown that has now been increased till May 3. In a statement shared with IANS, Zomato said that the company has partnered with Grofers, along with other FMCG companies, local groceries stores and modern retail chains, to pilot its grocery delivery service. "We are not aware of any other conversation with Grofers," a Zomato spokesperson added. After initial hiccups, Zomato has started grocery delivery in over 80 Indian cities with supplying essentials like aata, dal, milk, vegetables and items. According to Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group, CyberMedia Research (CMR), companies are looking at creative pivots to stay relevant by pursuing new growth opportunities on the back of the new coronavirus pandemic. "Expanding into near adjacencies is a given for companies, such as Zomato. From Zomato's perspective, a partnership or acquisition of Grofers would provide it a good leg-up in its competition with Swiggy to win big in the grocery delivery segment," Ram told IANS. Online food and grocery retail is expected to touch $10.5 billion by 2023, according to a recent report by Bengaluru-based market consulting firm Redseer. Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal who is bullish on online delivery of essential items, has said that their delivery network in the country is only second to India Post. "We we are putting in every effort to make sure that we put it to good use to serve the community. We'd like to thank the government authorities, grocery stores, FMCG companies &amp; other start-ups that have come forward to partner with us and support the community in this endeavor," Goyal said recently. Zomato is currently valued at nearly $3.2 billion while Grofers' valuation is around $650 million. Menlo Park, California-based Sequoia Capital is a common investor in both the delivery platforms. Zomato in January acquired Uber's Food delivery business in India – UberEats -- in an all-stock deal for nearly Rs 2,500 crore. Uber has 9.99 per cent stake in the Goyal-led food delivery platform. Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, the largest investor in Grofers, is also likely to pump in around $100 million in Zomato. Media reports said last week that Zomato has raised $5 million from British investment manager Baillie Gifford's Pacific Horizon Investment Trust. Zomato earlier raised $150 million from existing investor Ant Financial, an affiliate of Alibaba. The company has also launched the ‘Feed the Daily Wager' initiative to support and ensure meals for workers at construction sites, shops, restaurants, delivery staff, and local transport systems who earn on daily basis. As part of this campaign, the food delivery giant is providing ration kits to the daily wager communities that are currently unable to support their family's food requirement.

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You Searched For "zomato workers" and got 11 results

Over 32K tech workers fired in US, more than 11K in India this year

IANS

Over 100 Blinkit dark kitchens shut in Delhi-NCR due to delivery boys' strike

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Ola, Porter, Uber & Dunzo worst digital platforms for gig workers: Report

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There’s a way government can prod Zomato, Swiggy, Uber and Ola to increase salaries of delivery partners and drivers

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Blue-collar workforce management platform BetterPlace aquires OkayGo, aims to provide pre-skilled workers in India