Ola, Uber, and Rapido Drivers Announce Nationwide Strike on February 7

The strike will happen on Saturday, February 7 because drivers from Ola and Uber as well as Rapido will take part in the protest. The strike will address two issues which include low minimum fare rates and unsafe working conditions. The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union together with other labor unions have organized this protest.

Strike Duration and Service Impact

Drivers will take part in the strike for six hours according to labor union representatives. The entire country will experience interruptions to cab and auto and bike taxi operations during this period. The strike will cause different levels of service interruption which will depend on the number of drivers who participate in the strike.

Reasons Behind the Protest

Unions declared that gig workers experience financial difficulties because of the fare rates which aggregator platforms establish. The platforms now decide their own fare rates according to the unions which assert that the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines 2025 should have controlled their fare-setting practices.

Key Demands of the Drivers

• The government should establish minimum fare rates through their intervention.
• The Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines 2025 must be implemented properly.
• The authorities should take action against drivers who operate their personal vehicles as commercial taxi services.
• The authorities should create better working environments for gig and platform employees.
• The authorities should implement measures which enable drivers to maintain their earnings.

Reference to Previous Gig Worker Protests

Labor unions referred to a similar strike by food delivery and quick commerce workers which took place last February. The central government stepped in after the protest and instructed companies to eliminate their 10-minute delivery guarantee. The platforms Blinkit Swiggy Instamart and Zepto took down their 10-minute delivery promise.