On-demand logistics platform Porter has come under fire once again, this time by the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) over what it calls “deteriorating and exploitative” working conditions faced by drivers working with the firm.
The union, which represents thousands of app-based drivers, delivery personnel, and home service workers, has sought the urgent intervention of Labour Minister G. Vivek Venkatawamy to improve working conditions and the payment structure for drivers under the Porter app.
In a letter to the labour minister, a copy of which has been reviewed by MediaNama, TGPWU said that repeated complaints to the company had gone unresolved, leaving drivers in severe financial and mental stress.
What Telangana Gig Workers Are Saying
The union stated that the steep drop in trip payouts recently, coupled with high fuel costs, has put extreme financial strain on drivers, and sought the implementation of a per-kilometer rate. Drivers have also demanded the introduction of mandatory cancellation charges if customers abort trips.
Additionally, TGPWU asked Porter to set up a grievance redressal mechanism. The union claimed that several drivers’ accounts were being “unfairly” suspended without proper inquiry. It wants the company to give drivers notice, evidence, and a chance to respond.
Furthermore, the union argued that drivers’ take-home pay has significantly declined due to rising fuel costs. In light of this, it has asked Porter to implement a fuel cost adjustment, similar to other logistics platforms such as Delhivery, while also ensuring quick resolution of toll charges through the app.
The union also claimed that drivers often wait at pick-up locations for long periods without any compensation. It has sought the introduction of waiting charges, which should be automatically added to the trip after five minutes.
Alleging that many drivers have been subjected to harassment, misbehaviour, and unsafe situations, the gig workers’ body has asked the logistics startup to verify customer accounts and allow drivers to report grievances without fear of retaliation.
The Precarity of Gig Workers
The allegations against Porter reflect a broader trend in the gig economy, where delivery partners, app-based drivers, and home services personnel working for platforms like Zomato, Swiggy, Zepto, Blinkit, Ola, Uber, and Urban Company increasingly face challenges such as pressure for speed and efficiency, customer harassment, and hazardous working conditions.
This issue was also raised by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, with the MP seeking a complete ban on 10-minute delivery services, likening the practice to “cruelty”.
“I want to tell you that these people are not robots. They are also someone’s father, husband, brother, or son. The House should think about them, and the cruelty of this 10-minute delivery should end,” he said.
Chadha pointed out that while quick commerce has helped companies reach billion-dollar valuations, earning them the status of unicorns, the condition of gig workers remains worse than that of daily wage labourers.
Reflecting on the dangerous trend of 10-minute delivery, the AAP leader stated that workers are forced to overspeed and jump red lights, fearing rating drops, incentive cuts, app logouts, and ID blocks.
The Promise of India’s Labour Codes, DPDP Act
The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules, 2025, were born from the landmark Puttuswamy Judgment (2017), which held that privacy is a constitutionally protected right deeply rooted in an individual’s dignity, autonomy, and identity. The Act incorporates several suggestions made by the Srikrishna Committee Report, including obligations of data fiduciaries and consent-based processing of personal data.
However, the report argues that the breadth of the protection does not extend to the most vulnerable actors in the digital economy: gig workers. While the DPDP Act aims to safeguard the digital privacy of all citizens, it fails to address the specific data protection requirements of gig workers.
Note that Section 6 of the DPDP Act, 2023 specifies that consent given by the data principal has to be free, specific, informed, and unambiguous. Unfortunately, consent works differently for gig workers bound by strict contractual obligations. While onboarding platforms such as Zomato and Swiggy, gig workers are compelled to give them complete authority over their personal data and the labour process.
This makes gig workers more vulnerable than consumers. When a user logs into Blinkit or Zepto, they want to access a service; when a gig worker logs in, it is because their livelihood depends on it. This is where India’s DPDP Rules and newly introduced labour codes intersect.
Why this Matters
This is not the first time Porter has come under scrutiny for a lack of fair working conditions for drivers. In October last year, Fairwork India released a report revealing that Porter, Ola, and Uber did not meet even minimum standards of fair work for gig workers.
The latest allegations against Porter come close on the heels of the Centre’s introduction of four new Labour Codes, which, among other things, extend universal social security coverage to gig workers. As reported by MediaNama earlier, the Labour Laws, which came into effect in November 2025, still leave several questions unanswered.
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The Labour Laws aim to create symmetry in bargaining power between employers and workers. However, the contractual positioning of gig workers renders fair consent a mirage. Similarly, the DPDP Act fails to recognise the asymmetry in information and bargaining power between gig workers and aggregator platforms, leaving them vulnerable.
In the past, gig worker unions such as the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) have raised concerns about the lack of algorithmic transparency by aggregators on the data they use. In one such instance, Uber was said to be nudging drivers to locations shown as “surge pricing” on the heat map, without actually giving them the benefits of a higher fare. Notably, the gig worker laws of states such as Karnataka failed to address these concerns.
MediaNama has sought comments from Porter on the development. The story will be updated if and when we hear back from the company.
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