In the wake of the strike called by the trade union of gig workers, the Indian government proposed new rules for gig and platform workers, under which a worker must work for at least 90 days with an aggregator to be eligible for social security benefits.
For workers who are working with multiple aggregators, the threshold extends to 120 days.
The policy is going to be effective right on the day of joining, regardless of the amount earned through the gig. If a worker is associated with multiple platforms simultaneously, their earnings will be calculated cumulatively, according to Firstpost.
Recently, as the government announced fresh reforms in the labour code, it mandated social security and other benefits for the gig or platform workers, including PF, ESIC, medical insurance, accident coverage, etc. The labour ministry has also started registering gig workers on the ’e-Shram’ portal and will be part of ‘Ayushman Bharat’.
Under the new reforms, the social security scheme has also been extended to include the fixed-term employees (FTE). Under this change, the companies mandatorily need to offer social benefits to the FTEs. The FTEs will also be eligible for gratuity just after one year of employment, unlike five years previously.
Recently, the Gig and Platform Services Workers Union (GIPSWU) called a strike and submitted a memorandum to the labour ministry urging it to address the “systemic exclusion” and exploitation of gig workers under India’s labour framework.
