A collaborative study by the Centre for Labour Studies, National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, together with the Montfort Social Institute (MSI), threw light on the taxing work schedules and meagre earnings of platform-based cab drivers in Hyderabad.
The report, released on Tuesday, disputed the findings of another study in 2022 by NITI Aayog which claimed that the “gig (platform) workers are comparatively young, work for fewer hours a day, prefer a flexible work schedule, and do not have the gig work as their primary source of income.”
Conducted with support from the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU), the study tagged 28 drivers chosen randomly, and trailed them closely, recording minutiae of their workaday lives.
As per the report, most of the drivers were middle-aged workers with a family to support. Two thirds of the respondents were over 30 years of age, and did not have the option of short, flexible work hours. Most had to spend more than 12 hours each day on an average in their taxis in order to make ends meet.
Fuel prices and fluctuating commissions offered by the platforms did not make things easier.
Several taxi drivers had tried other jobs, including teaching, but left to join the taxi platforms attracted by advertisements about earning potential.
Though the workers were earning an average of around ₹45,000-₹50,000 per month after commissions, only 20% of it was their real income thanks to the EMIs, fuel cost and other overheads.
Fuel cost was the single biggest element in the total expenditure, and consumed 40% of the earnings. Vehicle maintenance claimed a high 10% owing to 250-300 kilometres distance clocked in a work day, which is almost every day of the month.
More than half the respondents had to pay large proportion of their earnings as EMI, and could not afford to take even a day off from work, except in case of emergencies, The EMI amount paid was on average ₹13,000 per month, or over 25% of the earnings.
The workers who had paid up all the EMI instalments were better off, and could claim 45% of the gross earnings. However, even for these drivers there were several pitfalls to consider, in terms of the depreciation on the vehicle and its rising maintenance costs as it aged.
The impact on the health of the workers is tremendous as per the study. The most common complaint was related to stress induced pain. Half the respondents suffered from chronic back, leg and joint pains, yet could not afford treatment as it involved huge expenditure for physiotherapy.
Many workers reported not being able to eat on time, resulting in disorders such as hyperacidity and diabetes at a young age. Other complaints reported were obesity, fatigue, failing eyesight, and even cardiac issues.
The incentives offered by the platforms are not the same for all the drivers, and differed greatly from one to another. Where the incentives are attractive, trips are controlled in order to evade payments.
Over the study period, only one in eight driver-days resulted in the driver receiving the incentive. On three different respondent-days when incentive was achieved, the drivers concerned had put in 15 to 16 hours of work, completing between 15 to 17 trips. There were other respondent-days when the driver did not make the incentive grade even after working for 16 hours. However, on two respondent-days, the drivers made the grade working only 6 and 7 hours.
Grievance redressal is as good as non-existent on these platforms, with no human interface whatsoever. Even the grievances aired through the app received no response.
The platforms were very receptive during the initial days, and deposited money back into the drivers’ accounts as reparations. Now Uber office has employed bouncers to deal with drivers and Ola’s office is situated at Bengaluru. Ola has now started to charge the drivers for bookings.
Under such circumstances, drivers depend heavily on peer groups and unions for relief, and use social media groups to connect in case of need.
Mohan Mani, a Visiting Fellow with the Centre for Labour Studies who released the study report at a workshop in the city, said the sample size had to be small owing to the effort involved in tagging multiple drivers and getting minute details about their work.
Founder-president of Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union, Shaik Salauddin, who attended the workshop, informed that close to 45,000 drivers in the city had to sell off their cabs during COVID-19 lockdown and resort to driving auto rickshaws as they found it hard to pay EMIs without active livelihoods, and lack of any support from the platforms.
The workshop concluded with demands for minimum guarantee earnings, social security benefits, government contribution to social security, transparency in functioning of the apps, accident compensation for drivers and cabs, and a legislation covering employment rights.
