<p>Following protests over worker safety, the Union Labour Ministry asked quick commerce apps to drop the “10-minute delivery” tagline and loosen rules for gig workers last week. As a result, these apps have relaxed some of their policies.</p>.<p>Despite the government advisory, concerns about workers’ safety remain. Metrolife visited seven dark stores (warehouses) and found that delivery agents continue to face major issues. However, a few said they did not face any penalties for exceeding the time limit. </p>.<p>Suresh Kumar, who works for Blinkit, noted, “We’ve been getting fewer tips recently,” and explained that customers did not feel the need to tip for quicker deliveries anymore. </p>.<p>Sundar, a Swiggy Instamart worker, shared that his daily earnings have plummeted from Rs 1,300 to around Rs 700. “We do not even get compensation for ‘surge’ orders anymore,” he said, adding that orders delivered during peak hours fetched better pay.</p>.UP: Baby's head severed during delivery in Bulandshahr; ASHA worker, midwife booked.<p>Even with relaxed rules, many gig workers continue to strive for speedy deliveries to meet daily targets and earn better incentives. Most Blinkit workers said they earn up to Rs 400 extra per day when targets are met.</p>.<p>A concern among workers is the constant changes in rules. At a Flipkart Minutes dark store, workers shared that guidelines were modified unexpectedly. One stated, “Last week, we could take up to 20 minutes to deliver, but now it’s under 10 minutes — failure to comply can result in our accounts getting blocked.” Many are left covering costs for fines, repairs, and medical bills resulting from accidents while rushing to meet targets. </p>.<p>One worker currently with Blinkit recounted how his account got blocked for failing to deliver within 10 minutes due to traffic. He was later reinstated after he explained the situation to his manager. Another delivery worker, who had an accident, completed a delivery before seeking medical help.</p>.<p><strong>Fewer complaints</strong></p>.<p>Delivery workers reported a decline in complaints about late deliveries. Ashwin Gowda, who works with multiple apps, said, “Customers used to call if we were not at their doorstep in eight minutes, but now they do not mind if we exceed that time by a few minutes.” Others noted some customers encouraged them to take their time during peak hours.</p>.<p>Quick commerce apps Metrolife reached out to were unavailable for comment.</p>
<p>Following protests over worker safety, the Union Labour Ministry asked quick commerce apps to drop the “10-minute delivery” tagline and loosen rules for gig workers last week. As a result, these apps have relaxed some of their policies.</p>.<p>Despite the government advisory, concerns about workers’ safety remain. Metrolife visited seven dark stores (warehouses) and found that delivery agents continue to face major issues. However, a few said they did not face any penalties for exceeding the time limit. </p>.<p>Suresh Kumar, who works for Blinkit, noted, “We’ve been getting fewer tips recently,” and explained that customers did not feel the need to tip for quicker deliveries anymore. </p>.<p>Sundar, a Swiggy Instamart worker, shared that his daily earnings have plummeted from Rs 1,300 to around Rs 700. “We do not even get compensation for ‘surge’ orders anymore,” he said, adding that orders delivered during peak hours fetched better pay.</p>.UP: Baby's head severed during delivery in Bulandshahr; ASHA worker, midwife booked.<p>Even with relaxed rules, many gig workers continue to strive for speedy deliveries to meet daily targets and earn better incentives. Most Blinkit workers said they earn up to Rs 400 extra per day when targets are met.</p>.<p>A concern among workers is the constant changes in rules. At a Flipkart Minutes dark store, workers shared that guidelines were modified unexpectedly. One stated, “Last week, we could take up to 20 minutes to deliver, but now it’s under 10 minutes — failure to comply can result in our accounts getting blocked.” Many are left covering costs for fines, repairs, and medical bills resulting from accidents while rushing to meet targets. </p>.<p>One worker currently with Blinkit recounted how his account got blocked for failing to deliver within 10 minutes due to traffic. He was later reinstated after he explained the situation to his manager. Another delivery worker, who had an accident, completed a delivery before seeking medical help.</p>.<p><strong>Fewer complaints</strong></p>.<p>Delivery workers reported a decline in complaints about late deliveries. Ashwin Gowda, who works with multiple apps, said, “Customers used to call if we were not at their doorstep in eight minutes, but now they do not mind if we exceed that time by a few minutes.” Others noted some customers encouraged them to take their time during peak hours.</p>.<p>Quick commerce apps Metrolife reached out to were unavailable for comment.</p>