Protesting Partners In Bangalore Upset From Urban Company

Partners in the beauty segment of Urban Company, on Monday, protested outside its Bengaluru office. The protest ended after a company representative listened to their demands.

Partners and gig workers associated with the platform have had issues with the 'auto assign' features, ID blocking and costly grievance remedy. The protesting workers claim that Urban Company is bypassing legal structures using technology.

The Gig and Platform Services Workers Union (GIPSWU), mainly representing Urban Company partners, organised the protest. They are also affiliated with the Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT).

The protests are in response to new terms of reference, including the 'auto assign' feature that does not allow partners to choose their bookings or jobs based on location or personal emergencies.

Partners feel these terms are harmful and claim that the company is putting them in "slavery-like situations." They also mention that they are penalised for not showing up for orders due to personal emergencies.

The union plans to initiate protests in other states if there is no response from the platform.

The union is also approaching the government to set up a law to establish a Tripartite Welfare Board and to register grievances of gig workers. In March, Urban Company reported a 17 per cent increase in the average monthly net earnings of all service partners compared to the same period in the previous year.

Co-founder Abhiraj Singh Bhal announced in May that the company has become profitable at the profit-before-tax level.