Gig workers will now get social security support, treatment and preparation for accident insurance.

• Security cover of gig workers will be linked to e-shram portal

New Delhi. The role of gig workers is continuously becoming stronger in the changing economy of the country. From online food delivery to cab service, millions of people working on e-commerce, logistics and digital platforms have become the backbone of urban life today. But the irony was that for a long time these employees remained almost completely outside social security. Now preparations have started to change this situation.

The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) is working on a plan to include gig and platform workers in its social security ambit. If this scheme is implemented, lakhs of delivery partners, cab drivers and freelancers will be able to get many important facilities like organized sector employees for the first time.

Under the proposed scheme, there is a preparation to provide services like health insurance, accident insurance, maternity benefits and medical facilities to the gig workers. The aim of the government is to ensure that these workers working in the unorganized sector also get protection in times of economic and health related crisis. For this, the process of preparing data of eligible employees and linking them with a systematic structure is also being started. It is believed that the e-Shram portal will become an important link in this entire system.

To make the scheme successful, coordination will be established between the government, ERC and various digital platform companies. Food delivery, cab aggregators and other online platforms can share data of their employees, thereby simplifying the registration process and providing benefits directly to eligible people. This will also prevent fake claims and increase transparency.

Experts believe that the gig economy is expanding rapidly in India. At present, about one crore gig workers are working in various sectors in the country and this number is expected to reach 2.5 crore in the coming years. In such a situation, creating a strong social security structure is considered to be the biggest need of the hour. This will also provide stability to this new model of employment and will increase the confidence of the workers.

However, many challenges have to be resolved before the plan can be implemented. The biggest question is which employees will be included in the scope of this scheme, who will contribute, what will be the funding model and under what system will the employees working on more than one platform get the benefits. The government and concerned agencies are considering all these points.

If this scheme takes final form, it may prove to be not just a government announcement, but a major change in the social security system in line with the new work culture of the country. This will not only provide economic security to millions of gig workers, but will also pave the way for formal recognition of their work and contribution.