india

India: Gig workers may soon get pension benefits via EPFO

Submitted by pmassetti on
The Economic Times (06.02.2025) The Ministry of Labour and Employment is set to introduce a policy granting pension benefits to gig and platform workers through the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation. This will supplement the existing health cover under PM Jan Aarogya Yojana. The pension plan, funded by aggregators, aims to provide financial security for gig workers, recognizing their significant contribution to the services economy.
Regions / Country
india
Topics
Platform workers
Digital plateform workers
Document Type

India: Government to Provide ID Cards and Security for Gig Workers

Submitted by pmassetti on
thedailyguardian.com 801.02.20259 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Budget 2025 speech, announced that the government will issue ID cards to gig workers. These workers will also get healthcare benefits through a social security scheme. Moreover, the government will invest in street vendors, urban workers, and online platform workers to improve their financial security.
Regions / Country
india
Global challenges
Topics
Extension of coverage
Platform workers
Document Type

How Jharkhand is setting a precedent for universal social security in India: where there’s a will…

Submitted by pmassetti on
Development Pathways (27.01.2025) Who would’ve guessed that one of the boldest moves in designing social security benefits would come from—not even a country—but a state in India called Jharkhand? For those unfamiliar, Jharkhand is one of India’s poorest states,¹ nestled in the country’s eastern region, often making headlines for its mineral wealth rather than groundbreaking social policy. Yet here we are, talking about Jharkhand as the unlikely pioneer of what can only be described as a “‘Semi-UBI”: a universal basic income, but just for women aged 18 to 50.
Regions / Country
india
Global challenges

India: Will Budget 2025 extend benefits like social security to gig workers?

Submitted by pmassetti on
business-standard.com (21.01.2025) While the new Code on Social Security 2020 defines ‘gig and platform’ workers and outlines various welfare measures like life and disability insurance, accident insurance, health and maternity benefits, and old-age protection, its non-implementation implies that millions of gig workers remain without any protection.   Labour Lawyer B C Prabhakar says that since the new labour codes are not yet implemented, it is pertinent that the government comes up with a holistic framework for the welfare of this bulging workforce in the upcoming budget.
Regions / Country
india
Topics
Platform workers
Digital plateform workers
Document Type

India is formalising measures to protect the rights of gig and platform workers

Submitted by pmassetti on
ullekhnp.com (20.09.2024) The latest announcement from the Union labour ministry is that it has asked technology-based platforms and aggregators to get all gig workers engaged by them to register on the e-Shram portal, a centralised database of informal workers, where they can avail of health insurance and other facilities, including unemploy­ment benefits, maternity benefits, and accident injury coverage through the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). As of now, gig workers are eligible only for minimum social-security benefits.
Regions / Country
india
Topics
Platform workers
Document Type

India: Government To Bring Gig Workers Under Social Security Net Via e-Shram Portal

Submitted by pmassetti on
swarajyamag.com (02.09.2024) The government will soon allow gig and platform workers to register on the e-Shram portal, ensuring they are covered under social security schemes, Union Labour & Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Sunday (1 September). Mandaviya highlighted that aggregators — companies that employ gig and platform workers — will be asked to take the lead in registering their workers on the portal.
Regions / Country
india
Topics
Platform workers
Document Type

India: Govt mulls reworking migrant, gig worker definitions

Submitted by pmassetti on
hindustantimes.com (29.08.2024) The Union labour ministry is reviewing definitions of migrant and gig workers to enhance inclusivity and clarity, covering intra-state migrations and digital platforms.
Regions / Country
india
Topics
Platform workers
Migration
Document Type

India: Regulatory Framework and the Protection of Basic Rights of Gig Workers

Submitted by pmassetti on

barandbench.com (16.05.2024) The gig economy, a burgeoning sector, represents a paradigm shift in traditional employment models, offering flexibility and autonomy to workers across various industries. Despite its benefits, the sector's rapid growth, particularly in urban India, has highlighted significant regulatory gaps, especially concerning the protection of gig workers' basic rights. The informal nature of gig work, mediated through digital platforms, poses unique challenges in ensuring fair labour practices and safeguarding workers' rights.

Regions / Country
india
Topics
Platform workers
Digital plateform workers
Document Type

Divided Directions: India's varied roadmap for governance of platform workers

Submitted by pmassetti on

The Financial Express (02.05.2024) India has made remarkable progress in expanding social security through the groundbreaking Code on Social Security-2020 (CoSS 2020), positioning itself as a pioneer in this field. This legislation stands out for its acknowledgment of platform workers and extending universal social security to them. Furthermore, under India’s leadership, the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration has prioritised the goal of ensuring adequate social protection and decent working conditions for platform workers under the overarching theme of “The Future of Work”.

Regions / Country
india
Digital plateform workers
Document Type

The Future of India’s Social Safety Nets: Focus, Form, and Scope

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cornell.edu (05.02.2024) The Future of India’s Social Safety Nets: Focus, Form, and Scope explains how an array of social welfare programs (comprising the safety net) have emerged as a leitmotif of social policy in independent India and explores the key challenges and scope for innovations in redesigning India’s social safety net system for the future. This open-access book provides a comprehensive analysis of India’s safety net by combining insights from a wealth of interdisciplinary scholarship on economic development, social protection, and the social policy process.

Regions / Country
india
Global challenges
Topics
Programme evaluation
Programme & evaluation
Document Type