A Study on Labour Rights of Gig Workers, Precarity and Algorithmic Control in the Indian Quick Commerce Sector

Abstract

The rapid growth of quick commerce (Q-commerce) in India is transforming retail businesses while posing critical challenges to labour rights and worker welfare. The study focuses on the working conditions, labour rights and welfare of gig workers in the Q-commerce sector in India. A survey of 1,247 Q-commerce delivery workers from major metros in India was conducted utilizing a regression modelling approach. The robustness of the employed model is thoroughly substantiated by both the substantial sample size and the highly significant p values achieved during empirical testing. The most significant findings of the study were severe systemic compensation disparities, with the vast majority of the workforce earning below the statutory minimum wage, exacerbated by a widespread lack of basic social security. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate a strong positive correlation between a worker’s reliance on digital labour platforms and their susceptibility to acute financial instability, highlighting how algorithmic performance metrics directly dictate workers’ economic security. The study also identifies critical gaps in labour protections, particularly concerning excessive and unregulated working hours.