This report analyzes the activities of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) in 2024. Drawing on a phone survey of 200 gig/platform workers across major platforms who are registered members of TGPWU, we evaluated the union’s impact across various factors such as  income and earnings stability, resolution of wage theft and unfair deactivations, awareness and use of grievance redressal mechanisms, perception of workplace safety,  participation in union activities, and collective action.

Key findings:

• 62% of workers reported receiving support from TGPWU in various forms. This included scholarships for children’s education, ration kits, accident-related insurance support (even when not covered by platform contracts), as well as assistance with e-Shram registration and income tax return (ITR) filing.
• 55% of workers were aware of TGPWU’s ongoing policy advocacy efforts aimed at improving the legal and welfare framework for gig and platform workers. The findings of this evaluation strongly validate TGPWU’s core policy demands for fair wages, transparent incentive structures, and protection against arbitrary deactivation or ID blocking. The widespread absence of social security measures among gig and platform workers further reinforces the relevance of the proposed legislation, which seeks to ensure access to accident insurance and other essential protections.
• 38% of workers expressed partial or moderate satisfaction, appreciating TGPWU’s efforts but feeling that tangible outcomes were limited, often due to a lack of unity among workers, which hinders collectivity.
• 15% of workers reported not being satisfied at all, and argued that the union’s efforts remained more aspirational than actionable. Such dissatisfaction emerged from not being able to see concrete results.
• However, the remaining 47 % of respondents reported being satisfied with the union’s support. Many emphasized that TGPWU has provided a much-needed platform for voicing workers’ grievances, especially in a digital work environment where aggregator platforms rarely acknowledge or address worker concerns. Several workers also expressed frustration with aggregators’ customer-centric policies that overlook worker wellbeing and result in arbitrary penalties or job insecurity.