Question : Organised and Unorganised Workers

(a) the number and proportion of labourers engaged in the organised and unorganised sectors in the country, State/ UT-wise and sector-wise;

(b) whether there has been a change in the proportion of workers in the said sectors over the past decade and if so, the details thereof;
(c) the details of the various welfare schemes, social security covers including provision of minimum wages, health benefits, currently in place for the protection and redressal of employer related grievances for workers of the unorganised sector;

(d) whether the Government proposes to further strengthen the Unorganised workers'' Social Security Act and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the mechanism including legal provisions/norms in place to safeguard the interest/rights of unorganised workers in the country?

MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI BANDARU DATTATREYA)

(a) & (b): Estimates of employment and unemployment are obtained through labour force surveys conducted by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. As per the NSSO survey results, the estimated number of workers was 45.91 crore in 2004-05, 46.55 crore in 2009-10 and 47.41 crore in 2011-12. The sector wise distribution of these workers is given below:
(in crore)
Workforce by Major sectors 2004-05 2009-10 2011-12
Primary 26.83 24.74 23.18
Secondary 8.35 10.00 11.50
Tertiary 10.73 11.81 12.73
Total 45.91 46.55 47.41

The State/UT-wise usual status, Workforce Participation Rates (%) in the rural and urban areas in the country during 2011-12 is placed at Annex.
(c) to (e): Government has enacted legislations for construction workers like The Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 and The Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Cess Act, 1996. Further, to provide social security to unorganised workers the Government has also enacted the “Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008”.

Workers get benefits under various legislations like Employees State Insurance Act, 1948, Employees Compensation Act, 1923, Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 and Building and Other Construction Workers Act, 1996. The coverage of establishments under The Employees’ Provident Fund & Miscellaneous Provisions (EPF&MP) Act 1952 has been enlarged to include construction workers.

The Ministry has initiated many labour welfare measures like minimum pension of Rs. 1000/- per month to the pensioners under Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS), 1995, portability of provident fund account, National Career Service Portal, Employees State Insurance Corporation 2.0, Revision in eligibility and calculation ceiling under the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 etc. The various labour legislations have mechanism for safeguarding the interest of workers.

*****