New Delhi: Body aches, weakness, dizziness, and nausea were some of the symptoms, 25-year-old Anshu Kumar experienced after another one of his 14-hour shifts for a ride-hailing platform. “I was rendered immobilised with sickness and aches, and had to be hospitalised for a whole week,” he says. Anshu was told that his condition was the result of continuous exposure to harsh sun.

Upon returning to work, Anshu was in for a rude shock. “Forget insurance, they blocked my account for being away from the platform for so long,” he added. After suffering a major blow to his financial and physical health due to an occupational and climatic hazard, Anshu had been left to fend for himself and his family by his employer.

Anshu and several others like him operate under vague rules formulated by platform providers that cater to the gig economy. It is estimated that 7.7 million people were engaged in the gig economy in 2020 and the same is expected to rise to 23.5 million by 2030, according to a June 2022 report by NITI Aayog.

Biju Mathew, President of the International Alliance of App-Based Transport Workers told us how the word came into being in the modern context. “The word ‘gig’ found its origins in the music industry where one artist or a group performed at an event and got paid for it depending on the number of songs or hours they played. The word took on new meanings in the digitised world as on-demand service apps came into being as platforms like Uber, Swiggy, and Ola, among others, adopted it,” he said.

Unhealthy realities

Workers in the gig economy are pushed to work extended hours, thereby increasing their exposure to all kinds of climatic extremes. Data from a study by the People’s Association in Grassroots Action and Movements (PAIGAM), Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers, and the University of Pennsylvania, revealed some stark findings regarding workers’ dreadful conditions.

The study titled ‘Prisoners On Wheels’, shows that most workers do this as a full-time occupation. A total of 5,302 cab drivers and 5,082 delivery drivers were surveyed in eight Indian cities. It was found that more than 90% of workers are working full-time for these companies. Of these, 83% of drivers employed by ride-hailing services put in more than 10 hours a day of work, and over 30% put in more than 14 hours.

The data takes away the claim that gig work is flexible and can be done at any time. “Flexibility remains far-fetched since workers face rigid requirements such as mandatory login hours and incentive schemes that limit their control over their work schedule,” says Khush, who is affiliated with the Social Accountability Forum for Action and Research (SAFAR).

So when gig workers take time off due to a climate-related emergency such as heavy rains, it hurts them, financially and professionally.

44-year-old Karan Upadhyay*, who works as a delivery person for Swiggy, told us that he had to take a week-long break from his duties because of the severe rains that crippled Delhi’s infrastructure. “Maine ek hafta ghar me bitaya (I spent a week at home), the rains flooded parts of where I live in Delhi, and my bike’s engine also needed repairs, which set me back by about 4,000 rupees. I will now need more than ten days to earn this money back, why can’t the company have a provision to pay for my repairs and for the days I’m on leave,” Upadhyay said.

For the taxi riders, monsoon brings on the challenge of a lack of rides, which eventually leads to lesser money earned at the end of the day. “Whenever there is a downpour, traffic goes up in the area, and rides get reduced. This ultimately reduces earnings and increases costs”, Vineet Kumar, who works for the ride-hailing platform Rapido, told us. 

Climate change is directly related to a loss in potential earnings. A 2021 study published by the Union of Concerned Scientists has found that outdoor workers are at risk of losing $55.4 billion in earnings annually in the US alone by 2050. The study called “Too Hot To Work” also mentions that workers could face four times as many days with hazardous heat if action isn’t taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

There are ways to cope with the heat, but there’s also loss of pay and health. Extreme heat in Delhi also leads some workers to work at night which comes with its own set of challenges. “The heat makes it impossible to work in the daytime, because of which I have to work at night, which is hostile in Delhi,” Anshu Kumar told us. He said that it leads to him spending less time with his wife and kids and adds a layer of vulnerability to the job. “When I’m on a night shift, I’ve to deal with things like rash drivers, drunk and rude customers, and the worst of it all is attempts to rob and steal by hooligans and the like. I ended up not working at all on some days even when I was supposed to, in this summer season,” he added.

How platforms add fuel to fire

It would seem as though gig work platforms would provide basic safeguards for the workers associated with them, not only is there a lack of protections in the form of gear, gig workers are incentivised to battle climatic extremes.  Workers receive extra pay and bonus amounts if they deliver during “rain modes” and at night.

“I deliver during rain mode because it’s the only way to get extra money from the platform,” 26-year-old Ravi Kumar, who works as a food delivery person for Swiggy and Zomato, said.

Moreover, platforms notoriously charge workers for even the most basic gear such as raincoats, helmets, t-shirts, and bags. The worker is then forced to buy the same because arbitrary rules made by the platforms ensure that the worker is penalised if they do not follow the dress code.

Gig workers also face penalties due to driver cancellations, and arbitrary fines through the app algorithms. Algorithms and platform rules, that may or may not be under the law, dictate most of what a gig worker does.

Biju Mathew explains this through the example of Uber. “Platforms will call a worker anything but a worker. The prevailing myth is that they don’t have a boss and they’re in turn, ‘partners’, or ‘captains’, whereas in reality everything is determined by the app. If you take the example of Uber, from the location, to the clients, to the routes, all of these things are decided by Uber and its algorithm, leaving the driver or rider completely at its mercy. Uber is in essence, a ‘hyper employer’, instead of someone an ordinary driver can partner up with”, he says. 

Many gig workers are part of what researchers call the “eco-precariat,” a term coined to describe individuals employed in environmental and climate-related sectors without proper pay, job security, or employment benefits. These workers often face unstable working conditions and lack the safety nets that traditional employment provides.

Climate crisis and its impacts

According to a 2021 Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) report, Delhi may experience an increase of 5.3°C in the average maximum temperature by the end of the 21st century compared to the pre-industrial era. Moreover, the frequency of extreme weather events has increased dramatically. A study by the Centre for Science and Environment indicates that during the first nine months of 2022, India experienced extreme weather events 88% of the time, resulting in numerous casualties and extensive damage to agriculture and infrastructure.

Soumya Datta SAPACC, says that “over the past decade and a half, the number of heatwave days and high heat index days have sharply increased. Very heavy rainfall events associated with flooding and long-term water logging have also increased significantly.  And the trends & models predict a sharp rise in extreme heat events by 2050”.

The incidence of rains has become so freakish that Delhi received half of the rains in just three days between two months from June 1 to August 1.

Elevated temperatures also contribute to higher levels of ground-level ozone, thereby worsening air quality. This can aggravate respiratory issues for outdoor workers and increase their susceptibility to diseases like asthma.

A gig worker working amidst rains. Photo Credit: Siddhant Vashistha

Convenience at the cost of exploitation

An average gig worker in Delhi deals with a range of extreme climate events throughout the year. From unbearable heatwaves in temperatures exceeding 50ºC to harsh winters with stifling air. Monsoons bring with them massive waterlogging across the city, which comes with freak rain events that have shattered all records in the past couple of years.

The expectations are to still deliver, on time, without fail. The riders can expect a drop in ratings if these targets aren’t met, extreme weather or not.

The nature of gig work, especially of the food delivery kind, is such that if an extreme weather event is at play, more people will order food instead of going out. Workers bear the direct cost of the same. The hyper-convenient models of delivery, such as the 10-minute grocery delivery lead to unrealistic consumer expectations. 85.9% of the delivery persons surveyed by PAIGAM said that the policy of 10-minute instant deliveries is completely unacceptable to them.

Workers catch a moment to chat while their e-vehicles get charged. Photo Credit: Siddhant Vashistha

However, consumer apathy always gets coupled by an apathetic attitude by the platform. “There is usually no care about the fact that the outdoors was hellish or if the streets were waterlogged while I tried to make this delivery. Instead, almost all of the customers that I deliver to, get upset by the fact that the delivery was late. Sometimes complaints are made against me, while other times I’m given bad ratings, or both”, says Upadhyay.

The apathy is usually followed up by unrealistic expectations from delivery executives. “I made deliveries during the heatwave in Delhi, and believe it or not, several people made me climb four to five floors, sometimes even when there was a lift in the building. Is this home delivery or room delivery?” Ravi Kumar said.

About 44% of respondents in the PAIGAM study reported that customer behaviour affects them negatively. The same was corroborated by the gig workers we spoke with. “There is no outlet for us, even if the consumer misbehaves or abuses me, the company just tells me that we will do something about it, but they don’t do anything in reality, because we end up interacting with the same accounts again on the app”, Vineet Kumar said.

HealthonAir reached out to Swiggy, and Uber India, listing out the queries and complaints of ID blocking, climate change preparedness, insurance schemes, and grievance redressal, among others, but did not receive a response from either of the companies.

Health takes the backseat on this ride

Gig work in India carries with it a range of health issues by design, which is only exacerbated by climate change. Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, former President, Indian Medical Association, Cochin told HealthonAir about the multiple risks associated with extreme heat. “If precautions are not taken, dehydration, muscle cramps and exhaustion occur from loss of water and electrolytes. Heat syncope or fainting is common and in severe cases, heat stroke can occur, which is a life-threatening condition where the body’s cooling mechanism fails and multiple organs suffer damage,” he says.

Dr Jayadevan warns that the air in Delhi is filled with harmful particles and toxic fumes that can cause chronic breathing problems, heart disease, and even cancer. “Breathing polluted air day after day can lead to long-term health issues, especially for those who spend a lot of time outdoors,” he says.

A 2023 study by Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group assessed the impact of air pollution on outdoor workers across 15 sites in Delhi. It found that nearly all participants were exposed to air pollution during work, with significant gaps in knowledge about protective measures. High rates of abnormal pulmonary function were noted, with severe lung illnesses affecting a notable percentage of workers.

Working long hours in harsh conditions doesn’t just affect gig workers physically—it also takes a toll on their mental health. Dr Rachana Awatramani, PhD, Psychology, explains that the stress of working under these conditions can lead to burnout, anxiety, and depression.

“When you add long shifts, social isolation, and lack of sleep into the mix, it’s no wonder many gig workers feel overwhelmed,” she says.

 What Can Be Done?

The situation for gig workers in India is dire, and it will only worsen as climate change continues to intensify. However, some steps can be taken to help protect these workers.

Soumya Dutta advocates for improving and localising early warning systems for climatic hazards in big cities like Delhi. He also suggests providing emergency cooling systems in critical locations and raising awareness about seasonal dangers. Most importantly, Dutta calls for the active involvement of gig workers in developing and improving Heat Action Plans and other climate adaptation measures. “We need to bring gig workers to the table and ensure they have a voice in how these plans are developed and implemented,” he says.

SAFAR’s Khush told us that there is no data on workers’ deaths from the heatwave “since heatwaves are yet to be included as a notified disaster under the Disaster Management Act.” A recent survey by TGPWU has called for India’s National Disaster Management Authority to declare heatwaves a notified disaster.

Shruti Sinha, one of the authors of the Chintan study suggests occupational health and safety measures for outdoor workers. “We recommend that basic measures like providing resting facilities with designated washrooms, N95 masks, and bi-annual health check-ups be mandated for outdoor workers of all kinds. This may help make them more adept at dealing with occupational hazards that arise from climate change,” Sinha said.   

Strengthening labour protections for gig workers is also crucial. Rajasthan has become the first Indian state to pass a law providing social security to gig workers through the Rajasthan Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Act. The law mandates automatic registration of gig workers with the state, ensuring they access social security schemes and grievance mechanisms. It establishes a welfare board to oversee implementation and creates a social security fund funded by a “welfare cess” charged to customers. Aggregators face penalties for non-payment, with fines of up to Rs 50 lakh for repeated violations. This legislation addresses the lack of social security for gig workers, who have been unprotected by traditional labour laws.

Likewise, the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2024, is a positive step, aiming to regulate the relationship between gig workers and digital platforms. But more needs to be done to ensure that gig workers have access to essential rights like healthcare, insurance, and fair compensation. States like Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Telangana have similar legislation in the works too.

These are essential first steps in regulating an industry plagued by an uncertainty of rights, safety, and the workplace. However, a lot more needs to be done, “since the bills do not have provisions for issues such as minimum wage, occupational safety, and working hours,” says Khush.

As climate change accelerates, the challenges facing gig workers in India—and around the world—will only grow. Addressing these challenges requires urgent action from policymakers, businesses, and society as a whole. We owe it to workers like Anshu, Karan, Ravi, and Vineet, to ensure they are not left to face these dangers alone.

This reporting was supported by a grant from the Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group. Chintan has not exercised any editorial control over the contents of this article. 

*Some names have been changed to protect identities.

(Cover Photo: A gig worker prepares for his next delivery. Photo Credit: Siddhant Vashistha)