Telangana first state to give financial aid to families of deceased gig workers

Labour Minister G Vivek Venkataswamy credited the TGPWU for making the initiative possible.

Hyderabad: In what is being described as a first-of-its-kind initiative in India, the Telangana government has extended financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of five gig and platform workers who died in road accidents while on duty, bringing the total payout to each bereaved family to Rs 15 lakh, including Rs 10 lakh from the respective platform companies.

The cheques were distributed to the families of five workers – Ahmed Bin Abdul Khader, a Swiggy delivery worker, G Shyam Sundar, an Uber bike taxi driver; Lokurthi Naresh, a Zomato delivery worker, Garlapati Shashidhar Reddy, a taxi driver, and Daravath Mahesh, a Blinkit delivery worker.

Union’s persistent push

Labour Minister G Vivek Venkataswamy credited the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) for making the initiative possible, noting that the union’s sustained follow-up with the Chief Minister’s Office and the Labour Department had pushed the matter to resolution.

TGPWU founder president Shaik Salauddin, who had been pressing Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and the Labour Minister on the issue of social security for gig workers, called the development a historic victory. “This reflects the Telangana government’s commitment towards the welfare and dignity of workers in the digital economy,” he said.

He added that the TGPWU would continue its push for comprehensive social security, accident insurance and legal protections for all gig and platform workers in the country.