The Maharashtra App Based Transport Workers Union has filed a petition before the Bombay High Court demanding regulation of aggregators, providing insurance to the workers as well as seeking transparency in algorithms of the apps. The plea is before the bench of Acting Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice SV Marane and was heard on January 10 and will next be heard on March 15.
The state government, Union government as well as Uber, Ola, Swiggy and Zomato have been impleaded as respondents in the petition.
The MAT Union was formed in 2020 and represents Cab Drivers, Food and Goods Delivery Persons and all the Workers who are connected with the applications based performance and service Industry. They seek social security benefits and have complained of reduction in payouts, mental harassment and unfair deactivation policy
The union has pleaded that directions be issued to the state government to regulate Aggregators Businesses as mandated by Motor Vehicle Act as well as to frame rules to regulate aggregators business of Delivery of food and goods.
Their other prayers include transparency in working hours, payments, contract, insurance and implementation of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 as well as payment of bare minimum wage commensurate to a living wage for 8 hours a day.
In the interim, they have sought directions to the government to hold joint meeting of stakeholders to consider their suggestions with regards to framing of rules and to implement Motor Vehicle Guidelines 2020.
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