Weeks after gig and platform workers staged protests against unfavourable working conditions, quick-commerce giant BlinkIt has decided to discontinue its branding, which promised deliveries within 10 minutes, India Today reported.
BlinkIt's decision after government intervention
Gig and platform workers had raised concerns over safety and gone on strikes in late December, demanding humane working conditions. India Today reported that Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has played a decisive role in the company's change of policy. The workers had highlighted the pressure to deliver products within a fixed, short period of time, and the absence of social security among their concerns.
In order to quell tensions and ensure the safety of delivery personnel, the Union government engaged in discussions with quick commerce and food delivery platforms.
Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reportedly met with representatives from Swiggy, Zomato, BlinkIt, and Zepto to discuss the issues. The platforms were asked by the minister to remove time-bound deliveries from their branding, India Today reported.
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What is BlinkIt going to change?
As a result of the meeting and responding to the demands of the workers serving on their platform, BlinkIt is going to remove all branding messages that promised a '10-minute delivery' to consumers. The branding will be removed from all forms of communication, including advertisements, brand promotions, and social media.
However, the change will not necessarily mean that deliveries will become slower, but will shift the focus from time-bound deliveries, which were creating unsafe working conditions for the people engaged in the work.
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The gig workers' strike
A nationwide strike was called by the gig and platform workers on December 25 and 31, as the worker unions alleged that they were being forced to work under unsafe conditions and low payouts. They had also demanded social security benefits.
It was noted that deliveries were being made at the regular pace on Christmas and New Year's Eve, but the strike and demands of workers raised attention over working conditions and safety.
