At 8.30 on an October morning, Pinky Devi (name changed) sits on a dusty footpath near Modi Mall in Noida’s Sector 25A. The 26-year-old has already washed clothes, cleaned utensils and dusted a house during a 45-minute early-morning booking.As vehicles rush past, she clutches her tiffin in a black bag and waits for her friends, who are also gig workers, to receive their booking schedules for the day. The women often sit together in parks during breaks, where they can face objections from guards if they sit alone.“We eat together during the break in the park. Otherwise, seeing me alone eating there, they (guards) will not allow me,” she says, glancing at her broken phone screen to check the time.On April 15, Pinky and about 40 gig workers with Urban Company took to the streets in Noida amid a massive labour unrest that shook the city. Wearing the company’s uniform, they marched with a 10-point demand written on a white sheet — more predictable working hours and a place to rest — before they were detained. Some had lied to their husbands to join the protest.Six months on, the April 15 protest has brought some changes for the women, though the gains differ from those secured by industrial workers, whose wages increased following the labour unrest.The company has limited the areas in which they receive bookings, introduced four days of leave a month and provided medical insurance, according to the workers. But access to washrooms and places to rest remains a problem, forcing some to leave the work altogether.A detailed questionnaire sent to the company remained unanswered.Story continues below this adBetween bookings, no place to restOne of the 10 demands raised during the April protest specifically called for access to drinking water and washroom facilities, with the last demand emphasised in bold on the sheet they carried.“We still do not get water to drink,” says Pinky as she dusts her back and crosses the road. “We carry our own so that we do not have to ask the customer every time. Some give it themselves, some are hesitant.”Sushma (name changed), who used to work with Urban Company but recently switched to a platform that provides wellness and spa services, was not present at the April 15 protest. But she says it was not the first time women gig workers had raised their concerns.“I protested at Jantar Mantar last year in February… there were hundreds of us,” she says as she exits a high-rise apartment at 7.30 pm, calling out the flat number for the guard to mark her out.Story continues below this adThings remained the same after last year’s protest, she says, and she hoped that it would change post April.In July, she eventually quit Urban Company after an experience that made continuing the job difficult. “I couldn’t urinate for four hours straight. I was holding it since I left home in the morning, as I had back-to-back bookings. While working at the second house, I couldn’t control it and asked the owner where the washroom was,” she says.She says the owner initially hesitated to let her use her personal washroom, but eventually allowed her to use the one in the hall. “I was scared she would give me a low rating and feedback that I used her washroom. I knew I couldn’t work like this,” Sushma says.She says that when they had only a few minutes before their next booking, the women sometimes had to relieve themselves near bushes.Story continues below this adThe lack of a space to rest between booking is another sticking pointSushma says during winters, they would light wood fires to keep warm, but sitting outdoors becomes difficult in summer.“At least the government could build a rest area, where we can wait till we get the next booking. During summers, the government says don’t go out during the afternoon sun, but the company at that time says that you’ll get Rs 50-100 extra if you go out to work at that time. I used to choose the extra money,” she says.Riya (name changed), 38, who is from Bihar, says the women had tried to explain to the company during the meeting how difficult it was to move between bookings. “We told them you stay in AC cabins, how will you understand us?” she says.Story continues below this adSome gainsRiya was among those who took part in the April 15 protest.She did not tell her husband she was attending it, fearing his reaction after several women were detained. “My husband knows what I do to earn money, but I have still not told him because he will be angry at me as many women were jailed,” she says.Her husband works in their village, while she works in Noida and lives in a rented apartment in Sector 34 with her two children.There have been some gains, say the workers.The company does not provide a travel allowance, but it has limited the areas in which workers receive bookings, Riya says.Story continues below this adEarlier, she would get bookings across four or five areas. Now, she often gets multiple bookings in the same area, reducing the need to travel long distances between houses.“Ek awaaz uthaaya hum log ka itna fayda hogaya ki ab ek se doosri jagah door nahi bhaagna hota. Warna humare liye kaun uthaata? (Just by raising our voice, we’ve benefited so much. Now we don’t have to keep rushing from one place to another. Otherwise, who would have stood up for us?),” she says.She says the company now allows workers four days of leave a month. Earlier, their salaries would be cut when they took leave. “Jabse hum ne awaaz uthaayi hai, hume chutti milne lagi hai, aur medical insurance bhi (Ever since we raised our voice, we have started getting leave and medical insurance too),” she says.She adds that some supervisors have spoken to apartment complexes, requesting their guards to allow workers to sit inside the societies even when they do not have a booking. “Earlier, the guard did not let us enter. They still do not always, but then we call our supervisor,” she says.Story continues below this ad“All the protestors have been released now. Everyone raises their voice, we also have a right,” she adds.