The ministry is considering all options, including issuing a unique Id to all gig workers and enabling transaction based contribution by aggregators towards the social security benefits to gig workers, an official source said on Thursday.
“The ministry hopes to put in place a policy to give social security to all platform workers before the Union Budget next year,” the source said, adding the benefits could include health security and pension security.
A labour ministry committee, comprising of all stakeholders, is finalising the draft policy which will define gig workers and their relationship with the employers and determine the employer’s contribution.
Earlier in the day, labour and employment minister Mansukh Mandaviya met the employees’ association of platform and gig workers and sought their views on the social security benefits needed for the sector.
The employees’ association have suggested the government give all social security benefits as a legal entitlement to gig workers, linked to a unique Id issued to each gig worker, and ensuring inter-state portability of benefits.
EDLI Benefits
The labour ministry, on Thursday, extended the enhanced benefits under the Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme, 1976 retrospectively from April 28, 2024 till further notice. These benefits, introduced in 2021 for three years, ended on April 27 this year. The ministry, had on April 28, 2021, extended both minimum and maximum benefits under the EDLI scheme from Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 6.0 lakh to Rs. 2.5 lakh and Rs 7 lakh respectively.
Further, the condition of continuous service of 12 months in an establishment was also relaxed so as to make more employees eligible for benefits.
Besides, employees who had changed the establishments during preceding 12 months but were in service continuously for preceding 12 months were also entitled to the benefits.
Review Meeting
Meanwhile, labour secretary Sumita Dawra on Thursday chaired a review meeting on the welfare measures taken by the Directorate General Labour Welfare (DGLW) for the benefit of unorganised workers including migrant workers, building and other construction workers (BoCW) and beedi, cine and non-coal mine workers under existing central and state schemes.
According to a statement issued by the ministry, secretary directed development of a standard operating procedure (SOP) or manual in the form of guidelines containing the different categories of unorganised workers and matching them with bucket of central and state welfare schemes i.e., Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) etc. under which they can be given coverage of social security for life insurance, health benefits, pension, housing, education and other benefits.