- New labour codes require aggregators to contribute 1–2% of turnover for gig worker welfare
- Gig, platform work, and aggregators are officially defined under the new labour law
- Gig workers will get Aadhaar-linked universal account numbers for portable welfare benefits
To comply with the new labour codes introduced by the Government of India, aggregators like Swiggy, Zomato, Uber, Rapido, Urban Company and others will have to contribute 1–2% of the annual turnover towards gig and platform workers' welfare.
This amount has been capped at 5% of the amounts paid or payable to workers, the Ministry of Labour and Employment said in an official release.
In a first, 'Gig work', 'Platform work', and 'Aggregators' have been officially defined under the law. Also, gig workers will be provided with Aadhaar-linked universal account numbers, which will make welfare benefits easier to access, fully portable, and available across states, regardless of migration.
For gig workers above the age of 16, registration based on self declaration and Aadhaar is mandatory for availing scheme benefits.
Besides gig worker, the labour codes offer benefits and provisions for MSME workers, beedi and cigar workers, plantation workers, mine workers, hazardous industry workers among many others.
These include free annual health check-ups for those employed in hazardous industries and mines.
Benefits have also been extended to type of workers like fixed-term employees, gig and platform workers (who have been officially defined for the first time), contract workers, women workers, and youth workers.
For female workers, provisions such as facilities to work in the night shifts across sectors in order to strengthen women's participation in the workforce along with prohibition of gender-based discrimination in pay and other aspects have been mandated.
The director general of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Chandrajit Banerjee, commented on the labour code and said, "By consolidating 29 diverse laws, these codes ensure better wages, stronger social security, enhanced workplace safety and a more predictable regulatory environment for both workers and industry."
He added that these codes will bring India in line with global standards, ease compliance, empower enterprises, and strengthen the foundations for higher productivity.
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