Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh urges Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to introduce gig workers’ protection bill in budget session

Mumbai: Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh demanded that a bill be introduced in the upcoming budget session of the state legislature to provide facilities to gig workers on the lines of a law in Tamil Nadu, and that a logistics park be announced for Bhiwandi. Shaikh said that in 2023, the Tamil Nadu government officially expanded the Tamil Nadu Manual Workers Act 1982 to cover platform-based gig workers, establishing the Tamil Nadu Platform-Based Gig Workers Welfare Board to provide social security benefits like insurance.
Shaikh wrote to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, asking the Maharashtra government to introduce a bill for the protection of gig workers. "Around 5 lakh gig workers are working across 350 platforms in the state. A large number of these workers are in MMR. However, they do not receive any social security or related benefits," he said. "Due to the lack of proper remuneration and facilities, there is growing dissatisfaction among them. Therefore, a bill should be introduced in the upcoming budget session to provide facilities and protection to gig workers." Pointing out that Bhiwandi is Asia's largest warehousing hub, and the logistics sector has become its identity, Shaikh added: "However, there is a lack of adequate infrastructure, which is hindering employment growth. In the 2025 monsoon session, minister Uday Samant announced the establishment of a logistics park in Bhiwandi, but no progress was made afterwards. Therefore, the CM should intervene to announce the setting up of a logistics park in Bhiwandi while presenting the budget."