According to the Minister of State, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Mr Rameswar Teli said in Parliament that the Code on Social Security, 2020 is one of the four Labour Codes enacted by the Parliament, has provisions for GIG and Platform Workers
As a step towards implementation of the Code on Social Security 2020, the Central Government has pre-published the Code on Social Security (Central) Rules, 2020 and the Code on Social Security (Employee’s Compensation) (Central) Rules, 2021 for public consultations.
As per available information, 21 States/UTs have pre-published draft Rules under the said Code. The Code has not yet come into force.
The provisions relating to gig and platform workers have been introduced for the first time in the Code on Social Security, 2020.
The Code envisages social security benefits through the formulation of schemes for gig and platform workers and can be implemented through Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) which hitherto provides social security benefits to organised sector workers.
A Social Security Fund has also been set up under the Code and one of the sources of fund, is contribution from aggregator between 1 to 2% of annual turnover of an aggregator subject to the limit of 5% of the amount paid or payable by an aggregator to such workers., It said.
Support To Construction Workers:
Commenting on the Support of Construction Workers, Minister said that the Central Government is committed to protect and promote the welfare, social security, safety and health of labourers.
It has enacted the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 [BOCW (RE&CS) Act, 1996], now subsumed in the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (OSH Code, 2020), to regulate the employment and conditions of service of building and other construction workers and to provide for their safety, health and welfare measures and for other matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
These provisions are enforced by the Central and State Governments in their respective spheres.
The implementation of Welfare schemes relating to life and disability cover, health and maternity cover, transit housing, skill development, financial assistance for education of wards etc. of Building and Other Construction Workers has been entrusted upon State/ UT BOCW Welfare Boards under Section 22 of the Act.
Relevant instructions under Section 60 of the BOCW(RE&CS) Act, 1996 have been issued from time to time by the Central Government to State/UT BOCW Welfare Boards for optimum utilization of the cess funds for the social security and other welfare measures for the BOC workers and their families, which may include the benefits of welfare schemes of the State Welfare Boards and social security schemes of the Central/ State Governments and for implementation of the provisions of the Act.
