'Millions of gig workers pushed into exploitation as Maharashtra fails to act,' says labour leader Kuchik

Pune: With India’s gig economy expanding rapidly, labour leaders have now raised alarm over the growing exploitation of platform workers who continue to operate without any legal protection.

About the same, Dr Raghunath Kuchik, deputy leader of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and general secretary of the Bharatiya Kamgar Sena, has warned that the absence of clear legislation is now creating a dangerous system of unchecked corporate control.

“While Rajasthan and Karnataka have enacted bare-minimum laws, Maharashtra has no legal framework at all for digital and gig workers,” said Kuchik, expressing concern over the future of India’s youth working in app-based and freelance jobs.

Kuchik also recently represented India at the Global Labour Conference which was held at the University of Geneva, where he highlighted the grim reality of gig workers in a parallel session attended by delegates from 30 countries.

According to him, the government’s aggressive push for entrepreneur-friendly policies has dismantled the protective structure of labour laws, enabling companies to prioritise profits over worker welfare.

He also stressed the urgent need to revisit the legal definition of “employment relationship” under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. He also shared that while the Act broadly defines a "worker," the criteria to determine whether an employment relationship exists have never been strictly codified. Traditionally, tests such as supervision and control, compensation structures, disciplinary authority, integration with the business, and ownership of tools have helped identify genuine employment. However, recent labour reforms aimed at simplifying regulations have effectively stripped these criteria from labour protection policies, he said.

"This shift," he warned, "is legitimising exploitation." Companies operating through platforms are no longer bound to provide basic rights, leaving workers vulnerable and invisible within the system, Kuchik revealed.

"In 2020, over 3 million Indians were working across just 11 major digital platforms. A NITI Aayog report projects this number to surge to 23 million by 2030—roughly seven percent of the total non-agricultural workforce."

Kuchik also revealed that member nations of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), including India, should be held accountable for monitoring the impact of digital platforms on workers. "This includes evaluating the nature of work, scrutinizing the use of algorithm-driven decisions by employers, and examining how such systems influence working conditions, job availability, and income levels."

Calling for corrective measures, Kuchik said, "Measures should be taken based on these findings to restore balance in the digital labour economy. We need transparency, oversight, and commitment from governments,” he said. “If we fail to act now, we risk creating a future where millions of young workers remain trapped in a cycle of silent, legalised exploitation.”