"Fundamental rights of gig workers not violated: Govt", 27 December 2024

The Union government told the Supreme Court that gig workers' rights aren't violated, highlighting e-Shram for welfare access, amid ongoing legal disputes.

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The Centre’s response came three years after the court issued notice on a public interest litigation filed by the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) seeking social security measures.

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Last month, the Supreme Court told the Centre that labour and social security rights for gig workers and app-based service providers cannot be denied if a statutory regime provides for such protections.

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The IFAT petition, filed by advocate Nupur Kumar, named major platforms including Zomato, Swiggy, Uber and Ola. It accused these companies of denying workers their entitlements by misclassifying them as independent contractors rather than employees, thereby depriving them of essential social security benefits and violating their fundamental rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.