Sumita Dawra, Secretary for the Labour and Employment (L&E) Office under the Ministry of Labour & Employment, on Monday urged a committee of experts to go through global best practices and available government schemes to recommend a robust framework of social security for the gig and platform workers.
Dawra made this statement during a meeting she presided over to review thedevelopments on formation of social security schemes for gig and platform workers.
During her keynote address, she told the committee that the Ministry is in the advanced stage of multiple stake-holder consultation.
The Secretary asked the Committee to analyse carefully the options under flagship schemes of the Central Government such as PM Jan Arogya Yojna (PM-JAY) to provide health care of ₹5 lakh per family, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), PM Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), and PM Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) as well those available to the organised sector, in order to recommend a robust framework of social security for the gig and platform workers, the Ministry said in a statement to media.
The Ministry also stated that the Secretary directed that global best practices may also be thoroughly analysed before finalising the framework in order to set a benchmark in framing the welfare schemes.
It was reiterated that, the Committee should submit its report in a time bound manner clearly recommending the framework addressing the social security concerns of this uncovered workforce.
The Committee should also diligently consider the factors like eligibility criteria, sporadic nature of engagement in the industry along with contribution mechanism, Dawra insisted.
The Secretary emphasised that the Ministry of Labour & Employment is committed to ensuring social security benefits to all workers, including those in the gig and platform sector.
The meeting was attended by key officials including Ramesh Krishnamurthi, Central Provident Fund Commissioner (CPFC) of the Employees’ PF Organization, Ajoy Sharma, Joint Secretary and Director General Employment, Rupesh Thakur, also a Joint Secretary in Ministry, Ashok Kumar Singh, DG of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), and other senior officials from the Ministry, ESIC, and EPFO.
The members and special invitees of the committee constituted to develop a social security framework for gig and platform workers also participated virtually. They were representatives from Industry, Platform Aggregators (Zomato, Swiggy), Workers’ Association (IFAT), knowledge partners (Niti Aayog, ILO, NCAER, OMI) and state governments.