Why are gig workers in India protesting?

印度为何零工劳动者在抗议?

What in the World

2026-02-24

12 分钟
PDF

单集简介 ...

The gig economy is booming. This is where people get paid per job - and use an app to get their work. Most commonly it’s used for food delivery and taxis. India's gig workforce is 12 million strong and expected to double to 24 million by 2030. But recently thousands of gig workers in Delhi led massive protests over their pay and working conditions. They were also upset about the pressures of having to deliver products within 10 minutes - a guarantee some companies had initiated to try to get an edge in a very competitive market. Meghna Kanwar, a Brut journalist in India, explains some of their complaints - and how the government and companies responded. And it’s not just India; there have been gig worker protests all over the world in the last few years, including in the US, UK, Brazil, South Africa, China and Indonesia. Nathalia Jimenez, our BBC business reporter in New York, tells us what some of them were about - and whether they made a difference. We also hear from Mu'nisah Ujima, a food delivery driver in Atlanta, USA, on some of the upsides and downsides she experiences. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Julia Ross Roy, Benita Barden, Ash Mohamed and Chelsea Coates Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde
更多

单集文稿 ...

  • This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK.

  • We focus on the part of the internet that most people don't know about.

  • It's called the dark web.

  • Undercover in the furthest corners of the dark web.

  • US special agents are on a mission.

  • to locate and rescue children from abuse.

  • From the BBC World Service, World of Secrets, the Darkest Web follows their shocking investigations.

  • Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

  • Hey, I'm Ikra and this is What in the World from the BBC World Service.

  • Whether you're getting some food delivered or maybe taking a ride somewhere,

  • chances are wherever you are in the world, you've probably relied on a gig worker.

  • Those are people who get paid per job and they use an app to get those jobs as well.

  • In India, loads of workers have been protesting over their working conditions.

  • They say there's too much pressure put on them.

  • So in this episode, we're going to hear about those protests in India.

  • Take a look at the bigger picture across the world and also figure out

  • if there have been any changes that have come about from people protesting.

  • We wanted to hear from some of you guys on this, too, why you're doing gig work.

  • There can be some upsides to it, too.

  • So here's Manisa Ajima.