Govt. to frame social security norms for gig workers

Sub: Schemes

Sec: Vulnerable

Context:

The Centre is set to introduce a social security policy for gig workers within a few months, aiming to provide mandatory benefits like life insurance and maternity benefits.

Details:

Labour ministry will form a dedicated committee to deliberate with all stakeholders on key issues related to gig and platform workers and to provide a robust social security framework for these workers.
The ministry also set a target of three months for registering all gig and platform workers on the e-Shram portal as the registration is crucial for extending benefits under various government initiatives to these workers.
It also urged the aggregators to list their job opportunities in National Career Service (NCS) portal, which provides a variety of employment related services for job seekers and employers.

Gig workers:

Gig workers are individuals who engage in income-earning activities outside the traditional, long-term employer-employee relationship.
They often work on short-term contracts or freelance jobs in the “gig economy.
The number of gig workers in India is expected to rise significantly, reaching 23 million by 2030 from 7.7 million in 2020.

Types of Gig Workers:

Platform-based: Use online platforms to find work (e.g., Uber, Zomato, Amazon delivery).
Non-platform-based: Freelancers, independent contractors, etc.

Gig economy:

The gig economy refers to a labour market characterized by the prevalence of short-term, temporary, or freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs.
Workers in this system often rely on digital platforms to find and complete work.

E-shram portal:

E-Shram Portal is an initiative by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
It aims to create a National Database of Unorganized Workers (NDUW) and provide them with unique identification.
The targeted beneficiaries are unorganised workers such as construction labourers, migrant workforce, street vendors and domestic workers
The portal facilitates targeted social security schemes and benefits for unorganized workers.
Upon registration, workers will receive a Universal Account Number (UAN), which will allow them access to key social security benefits.