(a) whether the Government have ever conducted a category-wise survey for the social and economic upliftment of unorganized labourers in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the number of unorganized and unskilled labourers and the industries in which they are engaged; and
(d) the economic, legal and other measures taken by the Government for the welfare of unorganized and unskilled labourers?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR (SHRI ASHOK PRADHAN)
(a): No, Sir.
(b): Does not arise.
(c): Industry-wise distribution of unorganized sector workers is given in Annexure.
(d): The Government has taken several steps for the welfare of labourers in the unorganized sector. A large number of existing labour laws like the Employees Provident Fund & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, the Workmen`s Compensation Act, 1923, the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, the Employees` State Insurance Act, 1948, the Maternity benefit Act, 1961, the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act,1970, the Bonded Labour System(Abolition) Act, 1976 and Inter-State Migrant Workmen (RE&CS) Act, 1979, the Building and other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 and Building and other Construction Workers` Welfare Cess Act, 1996 are applicable to the workers in unorganized sector. These Acts look after the interests of the workers in terms of wages, working hours, social security, etc. The Government has launched `Krishi Shramik Samajik Suraksha Yojana -2001`, a social security scheme for the agricultural workers which is being implemented by the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) in 50 identified Districts in the country to cover ten lakhs agricultural workers during its first phase of three years.
The Government is also implementing a number of Plan Schemes through various Ministries/Departments like Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Sampoorna Grameen Rojgar Yojana, Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rojgar Yojana, National Slum Development Programme etc. for the workers including the unorganized workers.