Tamil Nadu: Ola, Uber drivers go on strike demanding better pay

A large number of cab drivers of ride-hailing platforms Ola and Uber on Monday, 16 October, went on strike in Tamil Nadu demanding better remuneration and a ban on bike taxi services, which according to them, is eating up their revenue.

The cab drivers are also demanding strict action on certain toll booths operating beyond their contract period.

The strike was announced by the All India Road Transport Workers Federation and the Tamil Nadu Urimai Kural Driver Trade Union across the state, demanding a ban on bike taxi services.

Moreover, the drivers have urged the state government to immediately intervene and regulate the app-based cab aggregators and resolve the issue of the high commission charged by the aggregators.

To underline their demands, the cab drivers have announced a similar strike on Tuesday in Tiruchirappalli, with a major protest planned for Wednesday at Egmore’s Rajarathinam Stadium.

Due to the strike, those who rely on taxis to get to work experienced delays.

A commuter stated that due to the scarcity of public transit in his neighbourhood during peak hours, he relied on app-based aggregators to get to work. However, due to the strike, he had to wait over 40 minutes to book a taxi on Monday.

Meanwhile, Swiggy delivery workers in Mumbai have protested due to a change in payouts, causing delays and unavailability of services in several parts of the city.

Swiggy riders have been protesting due to recent changes to their rate cards and an increase in delivery radius.

Initial protests were started by workers belonging to the Rashtriya Karmachari Sena in Bandra, but other groups also joined in quickly, resulting in sporadic protests across Mumbai, a crucial market for Swiggy.