Swiggy, Instamart delivery workers go on strike over reduced pay in Pune’s Warje

According to a Swiggy worker who has been with the company for the last three years, the changes in the income structure have drastically impacted their weekly earnings, reducing them by 40 to 50 per cent. “Prior to the changes, the total revenue was around Rs 8,000 per week, but this has suddenly reduced to Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 after the changes,” he said.

He explained that the previous structure included an MG of around Rs 600 after completing 40 orders a day, incentives of Rs 220 depending on time slots, and a per-order delivery charge of Rs 20, totaling around Rs 900 per day. “Under the old structure, daily earnings were around Rs 2,000. With the new changes, incentives have been removed, MG has reduced to Rs 400 after completing a target of 34 orders a day, and the per-order delivery charge has reduced to Rs 15,” he said.

Suraj Dongardive, manager of Swiggy Instamart in Warje, said these are just trial changes in payouts coming from higher authorities. “This has resulted in the loss of 300 deliveries on Saturday, and since today is the cricket match between India and Pakistan, it may impact more orders,” he said.

“Before launching any policy, we try it in a small area to avoid significant loss. The decision comes from central management, and we will hold a meeting with them on Monday,” he added.

Dnyaneshwar Mote, a member of the All India Gig Workers Union (AIGWU) in Pune, who was present at a demonstration, said that these trial changes are typically done in smaller areas like Warje and Nanded to avoid chaos in bigger regions. “Why can’t they do this in Viman Nagar or Kalyani Nagar? Because they know it will create chaos. Past experiences have united gig workers to raise their voices against exploitation,” he said.