Rajasthan govt tables India's first gig workers rights bill; provide them with unique ID
- The provisions of Rajasthan Platform Based GIG Workers (registration and welfare) Bill, 2023 prescribe heavy monetary penalties if the aggregator fails to comply
In a bid a become India's first state to guarantee social security to gig workers, Rajasthan on Friday tabled the Rajasthan Platform Based GIG Workers (registration and welfare) Bill, 2023. The provisions of the bill prescribe heavy monetary penalties if the aggregator fails to comply. The bill will provide gig workers with the unique id which will be uniform across all the platforms.
'The Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers Welfare Board' will be established in the state where the gig workers of the state will be registered with all the aggregators of the state. The aim of the bill is to set up a welfare fee deduction mechanism that will be integrated with the aggregator app.
In case an aggregator fails to comply with the provisions of the act, the bill mentions ₹5 lakh penalty for the first offense and ₹50 lakh penalty for the subsequent offense.
The government envisions establishing a monitoring mechanism to make sure that the aggregator is complying with the provisions of the bill and verify that the welfare fee is deducted regularly for the gig workers. The bill says that part of the welfare fee will be contributed by the aggregator on a transactional basis or on instructions of the Rajasthan government.
'Ability to engage in all decision-making processes'
The unique identification provided will grant these workers the opportunity to utilize both broad and targeted social security programs. Moreover, in the event of a complaint, they will have the means to be heard. Additionally, they will have the ability to engage in all decision-making processes concerning their well-being by being represented on the board.
According to projections, there will be 23.5 million gig workers in India by 2030 making them a strong part of the future economic growth of the country. The Code of Social Security (2020) also has a separate section named ‘gig workers’ which imposes an obligation on employers to provide the gig workers with social security benefits, but the Code is still waiting for the framing of the rules.
(With inputs from PTI)