New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS) Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday asked major food delivery and quick-commerce platforms to do away with rigid ’10-minute’ delivery time commitments, stressing that the safety of delivery partners must come before speed.

Mandaviya held discussions with officials of Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy and Zomato here, during which, he advised them to remove strict delivery deadlines from their platforms and promotional material in the interest of delivery workers’ safety.

Following the intervention, Blinkit has apparently removed its “10-minute delivery” claim from all its brand platforms.

All the companies assured the government that they would remove delivery-time commitments from their brand advertisements and social media platforms.

The move is being seen as a significant step towards improving working conditions for delivery partners, who often face pressure to meet tight deadlines on congested roads.

The issue of gig workers’ safety and rights has been drawing growing attention in recent weeks.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has been actively highlighting the challenges faced by delivery partners.

On Monday, Chadha shared a video on social media showing him spending a day as a delivery partner on the roads of the national capital to express solidarity with gig workers.

Wearing a quick-commerce company jacket and riding pillion on a two-wheeler, Chadha was seen navigating Delhi’s traffic and delivering parcels to customers.

Sharing the video, he wrote that he wanted to experience the life of gig workers at the grassroots level, away from boardrooms and policy discussions.

Earlier this month, Chadha had welcomed the release of draft social security rules for gig workers, calling them a first step towards recognition, protection and dignity for their work.

He has also extended support to delivery partners who observed a nationwide symbolic strike on New Year’s Eve, demanding fair wages, better working conditions and social security.

The strike, called by gig worker unions, saw thousands of delivery partners across several states logging off apps or reducing work, leading to delays and cancellations on one of the busiest days of the year.

Chadha described the workers’ demands as legitimate and said gig workers form a crucial part of India’s urban workforce and economy.

–IANS

pk/na