Question : Minimum Wage for Gig Workers

(a)whether the Government has considered or is considering any proposal to introduce minimum wages for gig workers and if so, the details thereof;
(b)the relief measures put in the Government’s labour codes for gig workers carrying out their duties in harsh conditions like rain, storm, cold, heat, etc.;
(c)whether the Government is cognizant of the fact that any introduction of minimum wages will hamper the economic models of companies/startups which are dependent on gig workers and if so, the details of any study or consultation done by the Government in this regard; and
(d)whether the Government is maintaining or is considering to maintain any registry for gig workers and if so, the details of such a proposal or details of the number of registrations in such a registry?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)

(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 308 FOR ANSWER ON 20.12.2021 REGARDING MINIMUM WAGE FOR GIG WORKERS BY SHRI SANGANNA AMARAPPA and SHRI L.S. TEJASVI SURYA.

(a): The Code on Wages, 2019, provides for universal minimum wage and floor wage across organized and unorganized sector which include gig workers. It, inter alia, provides for fixation of minimum rate wages on a time work basis with any one or more wage periods, namely by the hour, by the day or by the month. Besides, the Code mandates the Central Government to fix floor wage applicable across the Central and the State sphere. Section 9 of the Code lays down that the minimum rates of wages fixed by the appropriate Government under section 6 shall not be less than the floor wage. The said provisions of the Code on Wages, 2019, have not come into force.

(b): The Code on Social Security, 2020, recognises gig workers as a new occupational category. It defines gig worker as a person who performs work or participates in work arrangement and earns from such activities, outside of the traditional employer-employee relationship. The Code envisages various benefits to gig and platform workers through formulation of schemes including (i) life and disability cover; (ii) accident insurance; (iii) health and maternity benefits; (iv) old-age protection; (v) crèche and other benefits as may be determined by the Central Government. The provisions of the Code have not come into force.

(c): Payment of minimum wages is a statutory requirement under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, and the Code on Wages, 2019.

(d): The Central Government, on 26.08.2021, has launched e-SHRAM Portal which is a National Database of the Unorganised Workers including gig workers. It has been made available to the States/ UTs for registration of unorganised workers including gig workers on e-SHRAM portal. All eligible registered unorganised workers including gig workers are entitled to get benefit of an accidental insurance cover of Rs. 2.0 Lakh for a year free of cost through Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY). One of the key objectives of the portal is to deliver the benefits of Social Security Schemes of the Central Government and the State Governments through e-SHRAM portal to the unorganized workers including gig workers. Number of gig workers registered on e-SHRAM portal as on 14.12.2021 is 7,27,927.
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