Onboard All Gig Workers On e-Shram Portal In 3 Months: Labour Minister To Aggregators

Union labour minister Mansukh Mandaviya has directed aggregator platforms to onboard all eligible gig workers on the e-Shram Portal within three months.

The minister gave the directions during a meeting with the representatives of Urban Company, Swiggy, Zomato, Porter, Even Cargo, Amazon, Uber and Ola on Wednesday (September 18).

Incorporated in 2021, the e-Shram portal is a national database of unorganised workers, including migrant workers, construction workers, gig and platform workers.

During the meeting with the aggregators, Mandaviya also asked the companies to list their job vacancies on the National Career Service, a statement by the labour ministry said.

He also instructed ministry officials to constitute a dedicated committee to understand the views of stakeholders on an inclusive framework for social security for gig and platform workers. This committee will deliberate on key issues and work on building a social security framework for gig workers.

This comes a day after the government issued an advisory with standard operating procedure (SOPs) which outline aggregator responsibilities, including registering workers and updating their data.

Once registered, these platform workers will receive a Universal Account Number (UAN), which will allow them access to key social security benefits.

The developments come at a time when reports continue to trickle in about the questionable working conditions of gig and platform workers, including long working hours and low wages. This concern has been amplified by numerous strikes and protests organised by these workers, who have described their conditions as “horrific” and likened their experiences to “slavery.”

In addition to the efforts from the labour ministry, the commerce ministry has also recognised the challenges faced by gig workers, particularly in light of growing adoption of quick commerce models.

On September 10, the ministry acknowledged a letter from the Forum for Progressive Gig Workers in India, which raised concerns about the poor working conditions of gig workers in the country.

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