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May 1, 2026 – International Workers’ Day – The Government of Karnataka has announced the launch of a dedicated grievance redressal mechanism for platform-based gig workers in the state. Claimed to be the first government-sponsored grievance redressal mechanism for gig workers in India, it allows workers to formally file grievances through the Integrated Public Grievance Redressal System (IPGRS), the state’s centralized digital platform for redressal of citizen grievances related to government schemes.
How does the system work?
Platform workers can now formally file grievances, including complaints about pay, working conditions and platform-specific disputes, through the IPGRS.
According to the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, every aggregator platform must establish an Internal Dispute Resolution Committee (IDRC). Complaints filed on IPGRS will be automatically routed to the IDRC of the relevant platform. Upon receipt of a complaint, IDRC is expected to attempt a resolution within 15 business days and has up to 45 days to issue a final order. Any party aggrieved by the final decision may refer the matter to the Karnataka Gig Workers Welfare Board within 30 days.
What concerns can a gig worker raise?
Gigu employees may file complaints related to suspension, blocking or deactivation of accounts, termination of the platform, reduction or withholding of payments, unfair sanctions, discrimination, unsafe working conditions or other violations of rights guaranteed by law.
What gap does it address?
While many platforms have internal complaint resolution mechanisms, these systems exist outside of a formal dispute resolution framework. As a result, concert workers often reported inadequate resolution of their complaints. Many complained that the platform often turned a blind eye to the plight of the workers.
The Karnataka government’s move seeks to bring more structure and transparency to the process and ensure legal aid for these workers outside the formal economy. Concert workers can now officially file complaints through the portal, which will then be routed to the IDRC of the respective platforms. The government as the central facilitator will monitor this process.
Are the platforms already registered for this?
According to Karnataka government officials, platforms like Namma Yatri and Yulu have integrated their IDRC contact details with the government portal, while others, including Amazon, are in the process.
Why is the mechanism being introduced now?
The Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025 was officially notified in September 2025.
In March 2026, Karnataka became the first Indian state to notify the Rules for Enacting the Gig Workers Act. A grievance mechanism for gig workers in the state forms a key part of the law. It is considered a major deterrent to prevent arbitrary termination or deactivation of gig workers’ accounts and address their concerns.
What are the other key changes related to the law?
In January 2026, the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers Welfare Development Board was set up to implement welfare measures.
The platforms have been mandated to provide details of the company and their gig employees — including name, age, phone number, Aadhaar number, UAN and bank account details — to the board. This data will be integrated into the board portal.
According to the government, around 12 platforms/aggregators have so far provided details of 12 million active gig workers in the state.
However, since several workers are associated with multiple platforms, the numbers may overlap. This is expected to be resolved once the government comes up with unique IDs for each worker.
In February, the government announced that 1% of each transaction would be collected from aggregator platforms to provide social security benefits to platform workers.
Is there a cap on the social security charge?
The transaction limit varies for different services.
For food and grocery delivery services like Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit, Zepto and BigBasket, the ceiling is ₹0.5. For bike-riding services like Rapido, Namma Yatri and Uber, the limit is ₹0.5, ₹0.75 and ₹1 for two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers respectively. Logistics services like Porter will have to pay ₹0.5, ₹0.75, ₹1 and ₹1.5 per transaction for one-wheelers, three-wheelers, light commercial vehicles and heavy commercial vehicles. For e-marketplace services, ₹0.5, ₹0.75 and ₹1 have been fixed as the ceiling for two-wheelers, three-wheelers and light commercial vehicles. Professional activity providers like Urban Company have a maximum limit of ₹1.5.
While the levy came into force from the quarter beginning in April, it will be collected at the beginning of the following quarter, from July 5.
What will the social tax be used for?
The social security levy will go to the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers’ Fund to provide social security and welfare benefits to platform-based gig workers in the state.
According to government officials, schemes for gig workers, depending on the platform they work for, are being developed and will be brought up for discussion in the next board meeting. Schemes considered include life insurance, accident benefits, disability benefits, health benefits, maternity benefits and old age protection depending on the nature of the gig work.
Published – 07 May 2026 08:30 IST
