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{{short description|Trade union federation of app-based transport workers in India}}
{{use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2025}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Indian Federation Of App-Based Transport Workers
| location = [[India]]
| native_name =
| native_name_lang = hi
| image = Indian_Federation_of_App_based_Transport_Workers_logo.png
| founded = 19 December 2019
| num_members = 1.56 lacs above (claimed)<ref name="clb">{{cite report|url=https://clb.org.hk/content/indian-federation-app-based-transport-workers-case-study|title=The Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers: A case study|website=[[China Labour Bulletin]]|date=2020-11-20}}</ref>
| leader_title = President
| leader_name = Prashant Bhagesh Sawardekar
| leader_title2 = Secretary
| leader_name2 = Udaykumar Ambonkar
| predecessor =
| dissolved =
| merged_into =
| headquarters = Mumbai
| website = {{URL|http://www.ifat.org.in/}}
| footnotes =
}}

The '''Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers''' ('''IFAT''') ({{langx|hi|इंडियन फेडरेशन ऑफ ऐप-आधारित ट्रांसपोर्ट वर्कर्स}}, {{Transliteration|hi|Indiyan phedareshan oph aip-aadhaarit traansaport varkars}}) is a [[trade union]] federation of [[Ridesharing company|ride-sharing]] transport workers founded in December 2019. In India, this includes the workers on [[Platform economy|platforms]] such as [[Ola Cabs|Ola]] and [[Uber]].

Prashant Bhagesh Sawardekar is the founder of IFAT{{Citation needed|date=August 2025}} and {{asof|lc=yes|2025}} serves as its national president.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bhirani |first=Garvit |date=2025-07-19 |title=Mumbai: Ola, Uber cab drivers suspend ongoing strike; warn of resuming protests ‘if the govt fails to…’ |url=https://www.livemint.com/news/mumbai-ola-uber-rapido-cab-drivers-suspend-ongoing-strike-warn-of-resuming-protests-if-the-govt-fails-to-11752906166729.html |access-date=2025-08-07 |website=mint |language=en}}</ref>

Udaykumar Ambonkar holds the position of National General Secretary of IFAT Founder and secretary of Maharashtra App-Based Transport Workers Union, since 2023. Ambonkar has a background in organising Gig and Platform Workers, and has negotiated wage settlements and represented workers in various legal forums national and international.

==History==
IFAT was founded on 19 December 2019 at a conference in [[Mumbai]].<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.itfglobal.org/en/news/indian-federation-app-based-transport-workers-launched-in-mumbai|title=Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers launched in Mumbai|publisher=[[International Transport Workers' Federation]]|date=2019-12-23}}</ref> Demands at its founding conference included a minimum price per kilometer, a welfare board for drivers and government insurance.<ref name="clb"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/cab-aggregator-unions-form-national-federation/article30369959.ece|title=Cab aggregator unions form national federation|website=[[The Hindu]]|author=Ajeet Mahale|date=2019-12-22}}</ref>

During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], IFAT demanded that companies should provide their workers with [[personal protective equipment]] and called on the government to provide insurance to gig transport workers. According to the union, over 38,000 workers took part in nationwide protests for these demands in June 2020.<ref>{{cite news |author=Abhinav Narayan Jha |date=2020-06-12 |title=Ola, Uber, Swiggy, Zomato आदि के ड्राइवर पार्टनर्स ने PPE किट और हाइजीन सपोर्ट की कमी पर जताया विरोध |website=Tech Samvad |url=https://techsamvad.com/ola-uber-drivers-protest-over-lack-of-ppe-kits-and-hygiene-support-from-cab-aggregators/ |access-date=7 March 2021 |archive-date=7 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200707092037/https://techsamvad.com/ola-uber-drivers-protest-over-lack-of-ppe-kits-and-hygiene-support-from-cab-aggregators/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The union also criticized the decision by companies to make downloading the [[Aarogya Setu]] contact tracing app mandatory for drivers, saying that it would allow the companies to track their workers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/2020/jun/04/app-based-workers-worry-over-misuse-of-aarogya-setu-by-employers-2152009.html|title=App-based workers worry over misuse of Aarogya Setu by employers|newspaper=[[New Indian Express]]|date=2020-06-04}}</ref> In September of that year, IFAT workers with [[Swiggy]] went on strike to demand the restoration of an old payment structure in which they received more money for deliveries between three and six kilometers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/food-delivery-executives-continue-agitation/article32672285.ece|title=Food delivery executives continue agitation|newspaper=The Hindu|last=Nanisetti|first=Serish|date=2020-09-22}}</ref>

In February 2021, IFAT workers went on strike in Telangana Hyderabad, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Delhi, Hydrabad, Assam, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Gujrat, Chennai, and Odisha, demanding an increase in fares to compensate for rising fuel prices.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sawardekar |first=Prashant Bhagesh |date=2021-02-18 |title=Supreme court: Indian Federation Of App Based Transport Workers (IFAT) |url=https://www.scobserver.in/cases/gig-workers-access-to-social-security-the-indian-federation-of-app-based-transport-workers-ifat-v-union-of-india/}}</ref>

In September 2021, IFAT filed a [[Public interest litigation in India|public interest litigation]] in the [[Supreme Court of India|Supreme Court]], with regards to the employee classification, specifically inclusion in the [[Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act 2008]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Naraharisetty |first=Rohitha |date=2021-09-22 |title=Gig and Delivery Workers Approach Supreme Court Seeking Social Security |url=https://theswaddle.com/gig-and-delivery-workers-approach-supreme-court-seeking-social-security/ |access-date=2022-06-05 |website=[[The Swaddle]] |language=}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}10. Varsha Bansal (14 November 2022). [https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/gig-workers-india-are-uniting-take-back-control-algorithms Gig Workers in India Are Uniting To Take Back Control From Algorithms]

11. Prashant Bhagesh Sawardekar [https://ifat.org.in/about-us/ Founder President of Indian Federation Of App -Based Transport Workers] {{Platform economy}}
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[[Category:National federations of trade unions]]
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Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers - Revision history

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