NEW DELHI: Food delivery platforms Zomato and Swiggy have announced higher incentives for delivery partners on New Year's Eve, calling it a "standard festive protocol," amid strike call by gig workers' unions.

The incentives are aimed at ensuring minimal service disruptions during one of the busiest ordering periods of the year, an Eternal spokesperson told PTI.The incentive push comes as gig workers’ unions, including the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union (TGPWU) and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT), have called for a nationwide strike on December 31 to demand better payouts, safer working conditions and greater dignity at work.

‘Remove 10-Minute Delivery Option’: Gig Workers Launch Nationwide Strike On New Year’s Eve

Platforms hike payouts for year-end rush

Zomato said it is offering delivery partners payouts of Rs 120–Rs 150 per order during peak hours between 6 pm and 12 am on New Year's Eve. The platform has also promised earnings of up to Rs 3,000 over the day, depending on order volumes and worker availability, according to people familiar with the matter. Penalties for order denials and cancellations have been temporarily waived."This is part of our standard annual operating protocol during festive periods, which typically see higher earning opportunities due to increased demand," an Eternal spokesperson told PTI.

Swiggy has also raised incentives for the year-end rush. The platform is offering delivery partners the opportunity to earn up to Rs 10,000 across December 31 and January 1. For New Year’s Eve alone, Swiggy is advertising peak-hour earnings of up to Rs 2,000 for the six-hour window between 6 pm and 12 am, a period that typically sees the highest order volumes, the people aware of the development told PTI.

Nationwide strike call by gig workers

The incentive push comes amid a nationwide strike call by gig workers' unions, including the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union (TGPWU) and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT).In a joint statement, TGPWU and IFAT said, "As of last night, over 1.7 lakh delivery and app-based workers across India have confirmed participation, with numbers expected to rise further by evening." The unions warned that the strike could disrupt operations of food delivery and quick commerce firms such as Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto during one of the busiest days of the year.

Unions cite falling earnings, rising pressure

The December 31 action follows a strike on December 25, when thousands of delivery workers logged off platforms across Telangana and other regions."The December 25 action sent a clear warning to platform companies about falling earnings, unsafe delivery pressure, and loss of dignity at work. However, companies responded with silence, no rollback of reduced payouts, no dialogue with workers, and no concrete assurances on safety or working hours. This continued indifference has made today's strike unavoidable," the joint statement said.Calling for broader participation, the unions urged workers to shut down work-related applications and abstain from providing services on December 31 to make the strike "united and effective".