On Tuesday, Telangana Industries and Commerce Minister K.T. Rama Rao made a suggestion to an online delivery company to consider a tri-partite agreement for the welfare of gig and platform workers.
Speaking at the inaugural function of a facilitation centre of a delivery firm, Mr. Rao wanted Telangana to take the lead in the welfare of the workers who are on the fringes of organised work eco-system. The prodding by Mr. Rao is another sign that the gig and platform workers are now a key segment of the economy and political landscape.
There is a clear political angle to this awareness about the welfare of gig workers. The comment by Mr. Rao comes months before the Assembly elections in Telangana. The Congress government is piloting ‘The Rajasthan Platform-based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare Board, 2023)‘ Bill. It is racing against time to have it as an Act before the Assembly elections.
The Congress, in its manifesto in Karnataka, has made a similar promise to create a welfare board for gig workers. The Congress manifesto in Karnataka promises to establish a Gig Workers’ Welfare Board by allocating ₹3,000 crore as seed money. “To mandate a minimum hourly wage for all gig and un-organised workers in domestic and personal care, logistics, food delivery, e-pharmacy, transportation and all other relevant sectors,” promises the party manifesto.
This change is a clear sign of the heft that gig workers have due to sheer numbers. Two years back, the number of gig workers was estimated at 77 lakh by the Niti Aayog. The numbers are only set to grow as there are fewer jobs in the organised sector.
Gig work was supposed to be a side hustle. Something that added to the worker’s income while he/she held another job. But in India, it has become the primary source of income for many families. This came along with a tweak in the definition of worker. The companies call them partners shifting them into a grey zone of the country’s labour laws. This move by political parties may shift the balance.
Mr. Rao invoked the word ‘pride’ for doing gig work. This is currently absent as gig workers don’t want to be seen by their family members wearing the uniform. Many of them wear it for a short time at the time of logging in where they are expected to share their selfie.
“We welcome what the Telangana Industries Minister said. We want unions and associations to be part of the tripartite agreement. We want a law to regulate aggregator companies,” said Shaik Salauddin, president of Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union who has been a vocal critic of the current labour policies. “The government should collect a levy that is a percentage of the total amount of the transaction value to set up a social security fund for the gig and platform workers,” he said.
