As gig work becomes an increasingly dominant form of employment in the state, the policy has sparked debate among experts and unions alike, welcoming the initiative while raising concerns over several issues
Published May 27, 2025 | 2:55 PM ⚊ Updated May 27, 2025 | 2:55 PM
Gig workers. (Representational/ iStock)
Synopsis: The Telangana government has made its draft Gig Workers’ Policy available in the public domain, inviting suggestions from the public and stakeholders. Experts and workers’ unions have now made suggestions to make it better.
In a move aimed at addressing the concerns of platform-based workers, the Telangana government has made its draft Gig Workers’ Policy available in the public domain, inviting suggestions from the public and stakeholders.
The government extended the earlier set deadline by three weeks on 29 April, signalling its intent to foster wider participation.
As gig work becomes an increasingly dominant form of employment in the state, the policy has sparked debate among experts and unions alike, welcoming the initiative while raising concerns over several issues, including a clarity on minimum wage, delays in welfare funds, and the need for greater transparency in pay structures and algorithmic decision-making.
Nayini Anurag Reddy, a policy analyst in Telangana, told South First that the idea of bringing such a policy was good, regardless of which government does it.
“It is a welcome move because there is no legislation in the area yet. However, some basic issues need to be addressed,” he explained, despite being a supporter of the BRS.
“The draft policy mentions minimum wage as subject to ‘the contract’. However, that leaves it entirely up to the companies, providing scope for exploitation,” he continued.
Additionally, he explained that the welfare fund was flawed in its current state. “When the policy was introduced in Karnataka or Rajasthan, there was a seed fund to make sure that the welfare fund was operational from the implementation. However, there is no such allocation in Telangana’s draft policy,” he stated.
“While they are taking money from aggregators, workers, and in the form of CSR. It will take at least half a year for the welfare fund to become operational effectively. Instead, if the government could allocate at least ₹25 crore at the beginning, it would make a huge difference, circumventing issues and addressing immediate needs,” he elaborated.
He also highlighted the vague information regarding payout timelines. “There is no concrete income guarantee yet. There isn’t an established payout timeline either. These are loopholes that the aggregators may use to undermine the workers,” he noted.
“Hence, real-time transparency and breakdown of income is crucial to ensure the worker is aware of their income, timeline, and deductions. The companies need to disclose why they deduct whatever amount they do,” he continued.
Anurag Reddy also stressed the importance of a Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) committee within the draft policy. “There is no voice for gig unions; they need to be more far-sighted,” he posited.
He also proposed that each worker must have the right to their work history. “One cannot start from scratch just because they switch companies. If we can carry our experience over, so should they,” he stated.
Furthermore, he also touched upon algorithmic transparency. “Everything is automated. There is no human intervention in making some crucial decisions on these platforms. This includes the blockage of accounts or reduced gigs for no apparent reason. This has led to the emergence of a new wave of brokers who now charge about ₹15,000 to deal with the companies and get people unblocked, to circumvent delays through official means,” he reported.
He also noted that the government should take a balanced approach to the issue. “Too much regulation can discourage business in the state. They need to strike a balance where things encourage business but not at the cost of worker exploitation,” he proposed.
The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union submitted a list of similar suggestions to the Department of Labour. Shaik Salauddin, the union president, demanded that the state specify the minimum remuneration for the workers.
Furthermore, he also stressed that the union must be given representation within the welfare board. Atop of union representation, he also demanded that one-third of the members be women.
He also proposed that regular open consultations be held with the workers. Noting the problem of grievance redressal, he demanded robust internal grievance redressal mechanisms to be formulated for the workers.
He also stressed the importance of transparency. He suggested that the platforms explain price breakups, work allocation, algorithmic changes and effects, and the rating system to the workers.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
