Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The new labour laws will provide for inclusive growth and social security for gig workers and women, improving their participation in the country’s workforce, the Government said on November 22. India has witnessed a major shift in its labour regulation framework with the implementation of the four consolidated labour codes. The four Labour Codes include the Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Code on Social Security, 2020, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020.
The Code on Social Security, 2020, aims to ensure comprehensive and inclusive social protection for all sections of the workforce, especially gig and women workers. It “reflects the government’s commitment towards inclusive growth and social security for all, in line with the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047,” according to an official statement. For the first time, Social Security Code recognises gig and platform workers, establishing a Social Security Fund for their welfare.
“The social security benefits have been extended to unorganised, gig and platform workers under Sections 113 &114 of the Code on Social Security, 2020,” the statement said. The Code calls for establishing a National Social Security Board to advise the government on formulating and monitoring suitable schemes for different sections of workers in the unorganised, gig, and platform sectors.
The Social Security Fund will be used to provide benefits such as life insurance, disability cover, health and maternity benefits, and provident fund schemes for these workers. Further, EPFO and ESIC coverage has been extended nationwide, bringing more establishments and workers under social security benefits. The Social Security code merges nine existing Social Security Acts into one framework, ensuring universal social protection for organised, unorganised, gig, and platform workers.
