Hans News Service Bengaluru

TheKarnataka High Court has issued notices to the Central and State governments on a fresh petition challenging the constitutional validity of the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025 and the rules framed under it.

The petition, filed by Uber India Systems Private Limited, was heard by a single-judge Bench of Justice Suraj Govindaraj. After a preliminary hearing, the court directed notices to the respondents, including the Karnataka Chief Secretary, the Principal Secretary of the Labour Department, the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, and the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers Welfare Board.

During the hearing, the court also clarified its earlier interim order issued on July 3, directing Uber to deposit the second instalment of the welfare cess. The Bench ruled that the three-week deadline would now be reckoned from July 28, giving the company additional time to comply with the direction.

The High Court further directed the Registry to club Uber’s petition with similar pleas filed by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), Swiggy, Zomato, and other platform-based companies, as they involve identical legal issues concerning the gig workers’ welfare legislation. The matter has been posted for further hearing on August 24.

The Karnataka law, enacted to provide social security and welfare benefits to platform-based gig workers, has been challenged by several digital platform companies, which contend that certain provisions of the legislation and the associated welfare cess are unconstitutional and impose an undue financial burden on aggregators. The High Court is expected to hear all connected petitions together during the next hearing.