The Congress party criticised the government’s recent steps toward supporting gig workers, calling them “half-hearted” and insufficient. The party argued that India needs a comprehensive national legal and social security framework for gig workers.
The remarks came after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a social security scheme for one crore gig workers engaged with online platforms. Sitharaman stated that these workers would be provided identity cards and registered on the e-SHRAM portal, and would also be covered under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
In a post on X, Congress communications head Jairam Ramesh said, “The government has finally awoken to the pain of India’s gig workers but has only ‘committed to the half-hearted steps’ of registering them on e-SHRAM and including them under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).”
Ramesh also noted that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been a vocal advocate for gig workers, especially since the Bharat Jodo Yatra. He pointed out that Congress-led governments in Telangana, Karnataka, and the former Congress government in Rajasthan have introduced significant legislation aimed at securing justice for gig workers.
Social security for gig workers was also a key guarantee given by the Indian National Congress’s Nyay Patra for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” Ramesh said. “The government has a long way to go before catching up to the Congress’s state legislations for gig worker welfare.
Ramesh highlighted the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2024, which he described as a “landmark rights-based legislation” that extends formal rights and social security to platform-based gig workers in the state. Key provisions of the bill include the creation of a social security and welfare fund, the establishment of a Gig Workers Welfare Board, and mandatory registration for all gig workers with the government.
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