New Delhi, citing legislations of its state governments to ensure justice for employed workers, Congress on Thursday said India needs a national legal and social security architecture for such workers and hoped that the upcoming Union Budget would give a step in that direction.
Congress General Secretary Communications Jairam Ramesh said the Karnataka Platform-Based Freelancers Bill, 2024 is a landmark rights-based legislation that provides formal rights and social security to self-employed workers. based on platforms in the state.
Last month, the Karnataka government released a draft of the proposed Karnataka Platform-Based Self-Employed Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2024, which aimed to protect their rights in the state with the creation of a board, a welfare fund and a complaints cell, among other mechanisms.
Ramesh listed out some of the features of the bill such as establishing a social security and welfare fund for gig workers and a gig worker welfare board to advocate for gig workers.
The bill also calls for mandatory registration of all gig workers with the government and states that aggregators can no longer dismiss a worker without giving 14 days' notice and without a valid reason.
Under the bill, aggregators must make payments to gig workers every week.
"Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has been a leading voice for Indian workers since the Bharat Jodo Yatra," Ramesh said in his post on X.
He said the Congress governments in Telangana and Karnataka, and the previous Congress government in Rajasthan, have brought in powerful laws to give justice to the employed workers.
Social security for employed workers was also a key guarantee given by Nyay Patra of the Indian National Congress for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he noted.
"As much as state governments can do, India needs a national legal and social security architecture for the employed. Their numbers are projected to increase, from 77 lakhs in 2022 to about 2.4 crores in 2030. The ball is in the Union Government's court. Let us hope that the next budget takes a step in this direction," Ramesh said.
According to the Karnataka Labor Department, the objectives of the proposed bill are to "protect the rights of platform workers, impose obligations on aggregators in relation to social security, health and safety at work, transparency in automated monitoring and decision-making systems. and provide dispute resolution mechanisms", among others.
Congress General Secretary Communications Jairam Ramesh said the Karnataka Platform-Based Freelancers Bill, 2024 is a landmark rights-based legislation that provides formal rights and social security to self-employed workers. based on platforms in the state.
Last month, the Karnataka government released a draft of the proposed Karnataka Platform-Based Self-Employed Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2024, which aimed to protect their rights in the state with the creation of a board, a welfare fund and a complaints cell, among other mechanisms.
Ramesh listed out some of the features of the bill such as establishing a social security and welfare fund for gig workers and a gig worker welfare board to advocate for gig workers.
The bill also calls for mandatory registration of all gig workers with the government and states that aggregators can no longer dismiss a worker without giving 14 days' notice and without a valid reason.
Under the bill, aggregators must make payments to gig workers every week.
"Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has been a leading voice for Indian workers since the Bharat Jodo Yatra," Ramesh said in his post on X.
He said the Congress governments in Telangana and Karnataka, and the previous Congress government in Rajasthan, have brought in powerful laws to give justice to the employed workers.
Social security for employed workers was also a key guarantee given by Nyay Patra of the Indian National Congress for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he noted.
"As much as state governments can do, India needs a national legal and social security architecture for the employed. Their numbers are projected to increase, from 77 lakhs in 2022 to about 2.4 crores in 2030. The ball is in the Union Government's court. Let us hope that the next budget takes a step in this direction," Ramesh said.
According to the Karnataka Labor Department, the objectives of the proposed bill are to "protect the rights of platform workers, impose obligations on aggregators in relation to social security, health and safety at work, transparency in automated monitoring and decision-making systems. and provide dispute resolution mechanisms", among others.
