Gurgaon: The state government will form a welfare board for gig workers to secure the interest of a growing workforce on two-wheelers employed as delivery agents with aggregators and e-commerce companies.
According to government data, there are 52.7 lakh people working as delivery agents and similar service providers in the state. On Tuesday, deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala held a meeting with industry leaders and asked for suggestions on how the board could secure the future of gig workers.
“At the next cabinet meeting, the government will present The Haryana Gig Workers Welfare Board Bill,” he said. “The bill will be followed by a state-level board dedicated to the social and economic security of gig workers involved in delivering goods, services and food at doorstep.”
Apart from industry representatives, officials from various government departments — industry and commerce, labour, transport and taxation — attended the meeting. Chautala told the officials gig workers should not just be given financial benefits in case of accidents or emergencies but also be brought under medical schemes.
“These workers operate on bikes and scooters in every weather. Some of them are full-time, others temporary. Yet, they lack any insurance, provident fund, medical benefits or any other allowances,” he said.
The deputy CM also suggested a name for the workforce — “mobility workers” — and said the schemes for them should be modelled on the prevalent plan for construction labourers. At present, there is a board that decides on compensation for construction workers in case of accidents at sites.
According to Chautala, several schemes are in the works for the welfare of workers from the unorganised sector, such as financial aid for the education of their children, support for daughters’ marriages and allowances for purchasing bicycles, among others.
Neighbouring Rajasthan has already initiated a process to set up a similar board for gig workers. “The Haryana government is actively working towards the formation of a board aimed at ensuring the welfare of youths engaged in the unorganised sector. The board will undergo statutory procedures before it is set up,” the deputy CM said.
Outlining the composition of the board, Chautala said it would include representatives from the departments of excise and taxation, industry and commerce, social justice, labour as well as from the companies with which they are attached. These workers may need to pay a small fee — a ‘mobility worker welfare cess’ — that could be used for their welfare.
Chautala asked the participating companies to submit feedback on the proposed bill within a week, assuring that the government would consider them seriously.
