GUWAHATI: Members of the Assam State Cab Driver's Association (ASCDA), along with bike taxi operators, delivery partners and other platform-based workers, staged a statewide strike on Tuesday, August 4, at Guwahati’s Chachal, demanding a revision of cab fares, social security benefits and government intervention to address challenges faced by gig workers.
ALSO READ: DMK’s Udhayanidhi Stalin Arrested Over Alleged Remarks Against Tamil Nadu CM Vijay
As part of the protest, demonstrators gathered peacefully under the banner "Shramik Sol" (Workers' Voice) and submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Transport Minister and officials of the Transport Department. The memorandum urged the government to take immediate steps to resolve issues affecting app-based transport and delivery workers across the state.
The association said thousands of gig workers are struggling with declining earnings, rising fuel and maintenance costs, arbitrary platform policies and the absence of social security. It stated that the strike was aimed at securing fair wages, dignified working conditions and long-term livelihood protection.
Among the key demands raised by the association were a revision of cab fares, a policy to compensate drivers for the additional costs associated with E-20 blended fuel, financial relief from the mandatory installation of Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTDs), and the introduction of health insurance, accident insurance, pension and other welfare schemes for gig workers.
The association also called for regulation of the commissions charged by online cab aggregators, protection against arbitrary account suspensions, strict action against the use of private vehicles for commercial transport, and the establishment of a regular consultation mechanism between the government and representatives of platform workers.
Speaking to GPlus, ASCDA president Dhrubaraj Axom alleged that police used force against protesters during the demonstration, claiming that one participant sustained serious injuries in the incident.
Carrying placards and raising slogans, the protesters further urged the government to review its fuel policy and conduct a scientific assessment of the impact of ethanol-blended petrol on commercial vehicles. They also demanded that stakeholders be consulted before implementing policies that directly affect the transport sector.
The association maintained that the strike was not intended to disrupt public services but to draw attention to the concerns of Assam's growing gig workforce and seek policy measures to ensure sustainable livelihoods.