Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers explained

IFAT
Location Country:India
Native Name Lang:hi
Founded:19th December 2019
Members:1lac above (claimed)[1]

The Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT) (hi|इंडियन फेडरेशन ऑफ ऐप-आधारित ट्रांसपोर्ट वर्कर्स,) is a trade union federation of ride-sharing transport workers. In India, this includes the workers on platforms such as Ola, Uber.

History

IFAT was founded on 19–20 December 2019 at a conference in Mumbai.[2] Demands at its founding conference included a minimum price per kilometer, a welfare board for drivers and government insurance.[1] [3]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, IFAT demanded that companies should provide their workers with personal protective equipment and called on the government to provide insurance to gig transport workers. According to the union, over 38,000 workers took part in nationwide protests for these demands in June 2020.[4] The union also criticized the decision by companies to make downloading the Aarogya Setu contact tracing app mandatory for drivers, saying that it would allow the companies to track their workers.[5] In September of that year, IFAT workers with Swiggy went on strike to demand the restoration of an old payment structure in which they received more money for deliveries between three and six kilometers.[6]

In February 2021, IFAT workers went on strike in Telangana Hyderabad, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Delhi, Assam, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Gujrat, Chennai, Udisha, demanding an increase in fares to compensate for rising fuel prices.[7]

In September 2021, IFAT filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court, with regards to the employee classification, specifically inclusion in the Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act 2008.[8]

Notes and References

  1. The Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers: A case study. China Labour Bulletin. 2020-11-20.
  2. Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers launched in Mumbai. International Transport Workers Federation. 2019-12-23.
  3. News: Cab aggregator unions form national federation. The Hindu. Ajeet Mahale. 2019-12-22.
  4. News: Abhinav Narayan Jha . 2020-06-12 . Ola, Uber, Swiggy, Zomato आदि के ड्राइवर पार्टनर्स ने PPE किट और हाइजीन सपोर्ट की कमी पर जताया विरोध . Tech Samvad . 7 March 2021 . 7 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200707092037/https://techsamvad.com/ola-uber-drivers-protest-over-lack-of-ppe-kits-and-hygiene-support-from-cab-aggregators/ . dead .
  5. News: App-based workers worry over misuse of Aarogya Setu by employers. New Indian Express. 2020-06-04.
  6. News: Food delivery executives continue agitation. The Hindu. Nanisetti. Serish. 2020-09-22.
  7. News: Sawardekar . Prashant . 2021-02-18 . Mumbai: Cab drivers hold protest, demand increase in taxi fare/Maharashtra App-Based Transport Workers Union (MAT) field the petition in Mumbai High court .
  8. Web site: Naraharisetty . Rohitha . 2021-09-22 . Gig and Delivery Workers Approach Supreme Court Seeking Social Security . 2022-06-05 . .