Extend social security benefits to gig workers, assn tells govt

Gurgaon: The Gig Workers Association (GigWA) has urged the govt to extend social security benefits such as employees' state insurance (ESI) and provident fund (PF) to gig workers, following the govt's move to register aggregators and their platform workers on the e-Shram portal. GigWA has proposed that costs of these benefits be shared among gig workers, aggregators, and the govt, citing current lack of social security for these workers.The association praised the ministry of labour and employment's initiative to register gig workers and establishment of a toll-free helpline (14434) to assist with the registration process. The ministry's advisory, which includes a standard operating procedure (SOP) detailing aggregator responsibilities for worker registration and data updates, has been well-received. Under the new system, platform workers will receive a universal account number (UAN), granting them access to essential social security benefits.Nitesh Das, organising secretary of GigWA, said the need for social security through the employees' state insurance corporation (ESIC) and old-age protection via the employees' provident fund organisation (EPFO). He called for the same protections afforded to formal workers to be extended to platform-based gig workers. The association hopes that a meeting between Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya and aggregators on Sept 18 will address compliance and cooperation, furthering the integration of gig workers into the social security framework.