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Transport and delivery workers reached SC, seek social security benefits

Seek justice for the app-based transport and delivery workers smarting under the whiplash of the pandemic, the Indian Federation of App-based Transport workers (IFAT) along with concerned individuals and organizations, have filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court recently.

The PIL that was filed on September 20, sought appropriate direction to the Government of India to bail out the aggrieved section of the society severely affected due to pandemic.

Besides, the IFAT also want to make app-based companies accountable for the lives and livelihood of the drivers and delivery workers and executives who are struggling to survive as their income is dwindling due to fuel price hike and are smarting under immense mental stress perpetuated by the loan recovery agents and even the state officials.

Senior advocates Indira Jaising, Gayatri Singh and Advocate-on-Record Nupur Kumar representing the IFAT in the Supreme Court. Seeking social security benefits for app-based transport and delivery workers, the PIL said that these aggrieved workers have been severely affected by the pandemic and the present relief measures and existing policies have not at all sufficient enough to address their issues and concerns. As such, social security benefits for app-based transport and delivery workers should be made available to them expeditiously.

“The app-based transport and delivery workers became the primary victim of the pandemic whiplash despite the fact that they are the primary source of convenient transportation and other means of services to common people in the country, no government has come forward to bail them out. Ironically, neither the loan recovery agents nor the officials of transport department are showing any empathy with transport and delivery workers who are suffering in silence ever since the outburst of the pandemic,” Bemoaned Shaik Salauddin, National General Secretary, Indian Federation of App-based Transport workers (IFAT).

It is against this background, he said, “We have approached the Supreme court to place before the court our untold misery and the indifferent and impassive attitude of the state governments as a last resort.”