Just 2 Of 11 E-Commerce Platforms Adhere To Minimum Wage Policies: Report

Under the Fair Pay criterion, a platform earns one point for ensuring that workers receive at least the local minimum wage after costs are considered

Only 2 out of the 11 e-commerce platforms have a minimum wage policy that ensures all their workers receive at least the local hourly minimum wage, according to a survey report by Fairwork India. This latest survey, conducted in collaboration with the University of Oxford and released on Tuesday, assessed digital platforms providing location-based services across five key parameters: fair pay, fair conditions, fair contracts, fair management, and fair representation.

The survey evaluated 11 platforms: BigBasket, Swiggy, Urban Company, Zomato, BluSmart, Zepto, Amazon Flex, Flipkart, Ola, Porter, and Uber.

Under the Fair Pay criterion, a platform earns one point for ensuring that workers receive at least the local minimum wage after costs are considered. An additional point is awarded if the platform guarantees workers earn at least a local living wage after costs. Overall, each company is scored out of a total of 10 points. According to the survey, only BigBasket and Urban Company achieved the first point under Fair Pay by implementing a minimum wage policy that ensures all their workers earn at least the local hourly minimum wage after accounting for work-related expenses.

“In addition to ensuring that payments are made in full and on time, both platforms have a publicly available wage policy that commits to ensuring their workers earn at least the local hourly minimum wage after considering work-related costs such as fuel and vehicle maintenance,” the survey states.

The survey further revealed that there was insufficient evidence to award any platform points for ensuring that workers earn at least a local living wage after expenses have been considered. The survey relied on local government notifications to assess minimum wages. For example, in Bengaluru, the data from the Government of Karnataka's labour department were utilised to establish the hourly minimum wage figures for semi-skilled workers (Rs 78.10) and skilled workers (Rs 84.30) in domestic services.

Overall, BigBasket, Swiggy, Urban Company, and Zomato emerged as the top performers, each scoring 6 out of 10 points. BluSmart followed with a score of 5 out of 10, while Zepto received 4 out of 10. Amazon Flex scored 2 out of 10, and Flipkart managed only 1 out of 10. Unfortunately, Ola, Porter, and Uber received no points, scoring 0 out of 10.