Shaik Salauddin

Hyderabad, Telangana

Shaik Salauddin is a taxi driver, labor organizer, and founder of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union (TGPWU), a registered trade union based in Hyderabad. Through TGPWU, he organizes gig workers—such as app-based drivers and delivery workers—into collectives to advance rights, social protections, and policy reforms within India’s rapidly expanding platform economy.

With over 10,000 registered members, TGPWU offers solidarity, strategic interventions, and crisis support for workers often excluded from traditional labor protections. Under Shaik’s leadership, the union has launched creative online and offline campaigns, including Gig Workers ki Aawaaz, a podcast series co-curated with the Hyderabad Urban Lab that amplifies worker voices and strengthens public understanding of gig labor.

Shaik is also building a national network of gig worker leaders to shape labor policy from the ground up. He currently serves on a Government of India committee working to establish social security frameworks for gig and platform workers—bringing the lived experiences of frontline workers into national policymaking spaces.
Learn more on LinkedIn or follow @tgpwu on Instagram.

“Being part of TGPWU has transformed my approach to organizing. Before, I was addressing issues individually, but now, I see the power of collective action. It has given me the opportunity to step back, assess our work, and plan strategically for the future of gig and platform workers.”