Many workers, referred to as “partners,” at the home services platform Urban Company (UC) are facing significant challenges, including the blocking of their IDs and adverse working conditions. These partners joined in protests and online campaigns to address these concerns.
Sonal, a former beauty salon owner who joined Urban Company in 2018 for family-friendly policies and flexibility, expressed frustration as her ID was recently blocked by the company.
She is not alone in this predicament, as numerous UC workers in the beauty segment faced the same fate. The company cites reasons like low response rates, below-par ratings, or job refusals as justifications for ID blocking, which the workers deem arbitrary and beyond their control.
The partners, with the support of the All-India Gig Workers Union (AIGWU) and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), gathered in different cities to voice their concerns about the company’s policy of permanently blocking their IDs, often for arbitrary reasons like not meeting a minimum rating requirement of 4.7.
The protest was part of the UC Partners’ National Protest Day, which saw demonstrations at multiple UC offices across the country.
Partners Demand Unblocking Of IDs And Policy Reforms
A significant number of Urban Company partners in Mumbai, totaling over 130, found their IDs permanently blocked, according to data collected by the AIGWU. The partners’ main demands include unblocking their IDs, abolishing the permanent blocking system, and ensuring that no changes are made to the UC platform without the consent of the partners.
UC workers organized protests in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru in June, with the hope of reinstating their IDs. However, many of them continue to be denied work. In July, a committee of 15 members was formed during a meeting in Bengaluru, with the aim of addressing their concerns and demands effectively.
The workers’ primary demands include unblocking all partner IDs and removing the permanent ID blocking system, along with insisting that UC consult with workers before implementing any platform changes.
Also Read: Watch: 5 Protests That Shook The World
Nihira, a partner with over two years of experience, highlighted the increasing number of partners facing blocked IDs in the past six months.
Older workers seem to be disproportionately affected, and partners find it challenging to meet the stricter requirements for various service categories, including salon, spa, cleaning, and appliance repairs. It is suspected that these changes benefit newer partners who bring in joining fees, making them more profitable for the company.
Shaubik Bhattacharya, from AIGWU, says, “The UC increased the minimum rating requirement to 4.7 and even 4.85 out of 5 in some categories.
The response rate requirements have been made unrealistically high – up to 70 out of 100 jobs have to be accepted and serviced. In addition to this, workers can only cancel up to five jobs per month, after which they are permanently blocked even if they have valid reasons.”
Impact On Partners’ Earnings
Several partners shared their experiences of reduced income due to the stringent policies. One worker, who had been with Urban Company for seven years, had seen her monthly earnings drop significantly.
She cited a minimum service acceptance rate of 70% as the reason for her ID being blocked. Despite maintaining customer ratings over 4.7 (recently increased from 4.5), her ID remained blocked.
UC’s ID blocking criteria are stringent, with different categories requiring minimum ratings such as 4.7 or 4.8 out of 5. Workers argue that these standards are often impossible to meet and out of their control.
Some partners, such as Anjana, have faced ID blocking even during difficult personal situations, like a miscarriage, which they believe is unjust. “Please remove the ID blocking system. I’m the only breadwinner of my family. There are so many single mothers who work with UC – if you block their IDs, they won’t have any means to survive.”
Another worker, an AC technician, Alauddin Khan, faced ID blocking in February. He had paid a subscription fee but found that very few jobs were coming his way. His ID was blocked, allegedly due to low service delivery rates and failed training, despite working for several months post-training.
Partners Seek Resolution And Legal Action
In an attempt to resolve their issues, a select group of protesters attempted to deliver a letter outlining their demands and grievances to the Urban Company office. However, they were denied access. The partners are seeking a meeting with the CEO of Urban Company and have threatened to approach the office of the labor commissioner if their demands are not met.
Manoj Yadav, coordinator of the Maharashtra chapter of AIGWU, stated, “Our main demand is that the blocked IDs are reinstated. If it doesn’t get sorted out, we’ll go to the office of the labor commissioner.”
Vivek Monteiro, Maharashtra CITU secretary, added, “If the gig workers are not reinstated, we will approach the High Court. The company gets away with treating the workers like this because of the tag of ‘partner,’ and we want to change that. They will then not be allowed to spontaneously terminate the workers, as well as be liable to give them statutory benefits.”
Company Response
Urban Company issued an official response, stating that they had asked a few partners who did not meet marketplace standards, despite prior notices and re-trainings, to part ways with the marketplace.
The company maintains an open-door policy and encourages dialogue with its partners. They also noted that their partners earn an average of ₹30,625 per month if they complete more than 30 services a month.
However, workers claim there is little room for addressing grievances. Sonal alleged that she was denied work even before her ID was blocked, leading to financial hardships. Workers also voice concerns about additional charges and fees imposed by the company, which they say further reduce their earnings.
The protest by Urban Company partners sheds light on the challenges faced by gig workers, the stringent policies implemented by the platform, and the impact on their income.
The partners are demanding the unblocking of their IDs and policy reforms, and they have the support of labour unions in their efforts to seek a resolution and potential legal action. The outcome of this protest may have wider implications for the gig economy and labour rights in India.
Sources: The Quint, Business Today, Live Mint
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