Second Wave of Layoffs Amid Pandemic Leave Gig Workers’ Unions Enraged -Prudhviraj Rupavath

-Newsclick.in

Unions of workers under digital platforms are raising voices urging the government to ensure labour rights for gig workers.

Hyderabad: Food delivery company Swiggy has reportedly laid-off over 350 employees citing the pandemic, after removing over 1,100 employees earlier in May. While the food delivery sector is one among the worst-hit sectors due to the raging pandemic that resulted in massive indiscriminate layoffs, unions of workers under digital platforms are raising voices urging the government to ensure labour rights for gig workers.

In an official statement, Swiggy management called the latest layoff as a final realignment exercise, adding that “the past few months have reshaped our lives in an unprecedented manner.”

A second wave of layoffs has also been reported in another health and fitness start up Curefit which is also into food delivery business. In May, Curefit had laid off over 800 employees and Zomato had laid off over 600 employees during the lockdown period in the country.

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