Demand Grows to Add Minimum Wage Guarantee in Gig Workers’ Bill

Quick Summary

• Telangana Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration, Social Security & Welfare) Bill, 2025 has no provision for a minimum wage guarantee, sparking opposition from gig workers.
• Telangana gig and Platform Workers’ Union (TGPWU) criticizes the bill’s omission of enforceable minimum wages and demands its inclusion to ensure fair pay and protection against exploitation.
• TGPWU highlighted that lack of minimum wage guarantees leaves workers in vulnerable conditions, frequently enough working up to 12-hour shifts under unsafe environmental conditions such as heatwaves or poor road infrastructure.
• An estimated 3.5 to 4 lakh gig and platform workers are active in Telangana, a majority being young men under the age of 35 years.
• The union also notes that many gig workers belong to backward castes/classes, underscoring the need for further government intervention on worker welfare.
• A TGPWU survey with Heat Watch revealed that over half (52%) of responding gig workers experience heat exhaustion during work.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The absence of a minimum wage guarantee in this bill raises meaningful concerns about equitable treatment and protection for platform-based gig workers-a quickly growing workforce in India’s economy. With around four lakh individuals relying on this sector in Telangana alone-frequently enough working extended hours under strenuous conditions-the demand for enforceable wages is a critical labor rights issue. in particular, its impact may be disproportionately felt by younger populations and marginalized communities traditionally reliant on such jobs.

Legislative action offering financial safeguards like daily or hourly wage guarantees could set importent precedents nationwide while reducing worker vulnerabilities tied to unforgiving climatic environments or social inequities within employment practices. As India continues its digital-economic transition alongside rising aspirations among these informal job workers, balancing innovation with robust protections may ensure long-term sustainability of such work models.

Read more: Source