Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 22 Across Keralam’s bustling urban centres, thousands of app-based delivery riders and drivers routinely operate without basic workplace amenities like a shaded seat, a clean washroom, or a place to charge a phone.
On Wednesday, the Keralam Labour Department will launch ‘GIGON’, a state initiative aimed at building dedicated resting hubs for the state’s platform workforce.
The first phase introduces rest centres across Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, and Kozhikode as part of the state government’s 100-day action plan.
Labour Minister Bindu Krishna will inaugurate the state-level facility at a newly built site at Vanross Junction in the city.
“The GIGON project is part of the government’s intervention to ensure the welfare and security of gig workers in light of their increasing numbers,” Krishna said, outlining the broader vision behind the pilot rollout.
“Based on the experience of first-phase operations, the government aims to expand the project to other districts as well. Bringing a bill to ensure the safety and welfare of gig workers is also under the state’s consideration,” she added.
For delivery riders whose work schedules are dictated by phone notifications and long waits on parked motorcycles, these spaces are designed to offer a clean break between assignments.
Each facility includes seating, drinking water, clean toilets, dining space, complimentary Wi-Fi, phone charging points, and television sets.
To ensure consistent access, the centres will operate daily from 8 a m to 10 p m, covered in two shifts
Two Labour Department staff members are assigned to each shift to manage operations and upkeep at every hub.
State Transport Minister C P John will preside over the ceremony at Vanross Junction, with Health minister K Muraleedharan attending as guest of honour.
Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor and Mayor V V Rajesh will attend as chief guests, alongside a number of other invitees.
The gathering will also mark the virtual inauguration of the parallel sites in Ernakulam and Kozhikode.
As app-based delivery services continue to expand, officials frame ‘GIGON’ as an initial step toward integrating basic labour protections into platform-based work models.
(PTI News)
