The Ministry of Labour and Employment is working towards implementing a policy for providing social security benefits to gig and platform workers by February next year. A new module will be launched on the e-Shram portal on Monday to make it easier for platform workers to enroll through their aggregators.
The ministry is exploring various options, including issuing a unique ID to all gig workers and enabling aggregators to contribute towards the social security benefits. The benefits may include health and pension security for gig workers. A committee comprising all stakeholders is finalizing a draft policy to define gig workers’ relationship with employers and determine the employer’s contribution.
Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya recently met with platform and gig workers’ associations to gather their input on the needed social security benefits. The associations have suggested that all social security benefits should be a legal entitlement for gig workers, linked to a unique ID and ensuring portability of benefits across states.
Additionally, the ministry has extended the enhanced benefits under the Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme, retrospectively from April 28, 2024. This extension aims to provide greater benefits to employees under the scheme.
In a separate review meeting, the Labour Secretary discussed welfare measures for unorganized workers, including migrant workers and construction workers. The ministry is working on developing a standard operating procedure to match different categories of unorganized workers with central and state welfare schemes for coverage of life insurance, health benefits, pension, housing, education, and other benefits.
Overall, the ministry is making significant strides towards enhancing social security benefits for gig and platform workers to ensure their well-being and financial stability in the future.
