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The Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) has called on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led Union government to introduce binding, nationwide heatwave protections for gig and platform workers. The demand is in response to extreme temperatures, which IFAT points out, are turning daily work into a serious health risk.
In a representation to the Union Labour and Employment Ministry, IFAT urged that specific safeguards be introduced under the Code on Social Security, 2020, to protect delivery partners, ride-hailing drivers, and home-service workers who continue to operate under algorithm-driven pressure, even during severe heat conditions.
“At present, the National Disaster Management Authority’s advisory for informal and gig workers provides a strong foundation of practical measures. But due to its recommendatory nature, it is insufficient to ensure uniform compliance. What is needed is a statutory conversion of these protections into enforceable minimum standards that apply consistently across aggregators and locations during notified extreme heat events,” the representation submitted to Union Labour minister Mansukh Mandaviya read.
“Heat protection is not a privilege. It is a labour right, a public health necessity, and a matter of dignity,” Co-Founder and National General Secretary of IFAT Shaik Salauddin said, emphasising the urgency of regulatory action as heatwaves intensify across India.
The federation’s proposals include paid cooling breaks during India Meteorological Department (IMD) Orange and Red heat alerts, as well as protection from penalties, ID blocks, or reduced incentives when workers pause duties due to heat stress. It has also called for mandatory access to drinking water, oral rehydration solutions (ORS), and designated cooling shelters.
Additionally, IFAT recommended the integration of in-app emergency support systems to help workers report and respond to heat distress, alongside the creation of public compliance dashboards to ensure accountability among platform aggregators.
Highlighting global precedents, the federation noted that countries such as South Korea, Singapore, France, Japan, the United States (in California), and the United Arab Emirates have already implemented enforceable workplace heat protections.