Context:
The Rajasthan Assembly recently passed a significant Bill aimed at extending social security benefits to gig workers.
This bill aims to address the lack of protection and benefits for gig workers, who were previously classified as “partners” rather than employees in companies like Ola, Uber, Swiggy, Zomato, and Amazon.
Relevance:
GS II: Polity and Governance
Dimensions of the Article:
- Rajasthan Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Bill, 2023
- Who is a ‘gig worker’?
Rajasthan Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Bill, 2023
About:
- The bill is introduced in Rajasthan.
- It recognizes the significant contributions of gig workers to the economy.
- Aims to provide essential protection and support to gig workers.
Objective:
- Extend social security and welfare benefits to gig workers operating in the state.
Key Features of the Rajasthan Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Bill, 2023:
- Mandatory Registration: All gig workers must register with the state government to be covered by labor regulations.
- Comprehensive Database: The state government will maintain a database of gig workers with unique IDs to track their employment history and entitlements.
- Access to Social Security: Gig workers will have access to social security schemes, including health insurance and accident coverage.
- Grievance Redressal: Gig workers have the right to address their grievances, protecting their rights and providing a platform for issue resolution.
- Establishment of Welfare Board: The Platform-Based Gig Workers Welfare Board will oversee gig workers’ welfare and rights, with representatives from both gig workers and aggregators.
- Funding Mechanism: The “Platform-Based Gig Workers Fund and Welfare Fee” will finance social security measures, and aggregators will pay a fee for each transaction involving gig workers.
- Penalties for Non-Compliance: Aggregators failing to pay the welfare fee on time will face interest charges, and fines can be imposed for non-compliance with the Act.
Who is a ‘gig worker’?
- Gig workers are those who work outside the traditional employer-employee relationship.
- There are two groups of gig workers – platform workers and non-platform workers.
- Gig workers who use online platforms are called platform workers, while those who work outside of these platforms are non-platform workers.
- Gig workers have characteristics of both employees and independent contractors and do not fit into any rigid categorization.
- As a result, gig workers have limited recognition under current employment laws and fall outside the ambit of statutory benefits.
-Source: The Hindu
