Legislation and welfare schemes to ensure social security for gig workers in Kerala are in the final stages, Labour Minister V. Sivankutty has said.
Speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday to announce the State government’s Thozhilali Sreshta awards, he said that proper service and wage regulations will be formulated for the gig workers.
For domestic workers
Aggregators will be brought under the purview of the Act and a dispute resolution mechanism will be established to address labour disputes. Legislation to ensure job security and various benefits for domestic workers is also in its final stages. The law will regulate working hours of domestic workers, ensure proper wages, leave, holiday pay, and essential rest, and end exploitation by placement agencies, which will also be brought under the purview of the Act.
Mr. Sivankutty said that total benefits of ₹2,764.37 crore have been provided by the current government to workers through the sixteen welfare boards functioning in the State. A financial assistance of ₹3,37,50,000 has been provided under the Tree Climbing Workers Financial Assistance Scheme and a financial assistance of ₹6,81,32,100 has been provided under the Tree Climbing Workers Disability Pension Scheme.
Thozhilali Sreshta awards
The Thozhilali Sreshta awards were declared in nineteen categories. The winners are K.V. Vinodhan from Kozhikode (toddy tapping), Sunitha from Alappuzha (coir sector), Rekha R. Nair from Thiruvananthapuram (nursing sector), K.N. Mohanan from Alappuzha (sales person), Manoharan from Kannur (handicrafts), T. Bhargavan from Kannur (headload worker), P.A. Anilkumar from Alappuzha (textile mill), Joycee from Wayanad (tailoring), Arul Karuppuswamy from Idukki (tree climbing), P.B. Prasad from Pathanamthitta (motor worker), K. Reena from Kozhikode (domestic worker), V.R. Pushpa from Ernakulam (security guard), Brijith Joseph from Ernakulam (manufacturing/processing sector), K. Anish Babu from Kannur (construction worker), K. Kunjumol from Kollam (cashew sector worker), Arsha P. Raj from Pathanamthitta (beautician), Priya Menon from Thiruvananthapuram (IT sector), E.K. Usman from Malappuram (fishworker) and Chithira Raj from Kollam (plantation worker).
