Haryana to establish board for workers welfare engaged with e-commerce giants

Gurugram: Haryana government is set to establish a state-level board dedicated to the social and economic security of gig workers involved in delivering goods, services, and food to the doorstep.

The government will present a bill for consideration in the upcoming cabinet meeting titled 'The Haryana Gig Workers Welfare Board Bill-2024'.

Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Tuesday engaged in discussions regarding the proposal with representatives from various service-providing companies, officials from industrial and commercial organisations, and senior administrative officials from departments such as labor, transport, taxation, etc in Gurugram.

He said that the unorganised service sector in Haryana comprises approximately 52.70 lakh workers, engaged with e-commerce giants such as Zomato, Ola, Uber, Swiggy, Flipkart, Amazon, etc.

He said that these workers, operating on bikes, scooters, and small vehicles, may work part-time or full-time, yet lack provisions for insurance, provident fund (PF), medical services, or other allowances.

He said that the government's proposal involves establishing a dedicated welfare board for these mobility workers, akin to those for building construction workers.

He said that such a board can offer financial assistance to these workers or their families in unforeseen circumstances.

He also mentioned the Central government's initiative, the e-Shram portal, for worker registration.

He said that numerous schemes are currently in place for the welfare of unorganised sector workers, encompassing financial aid for their children's education, support for daughters' marriages, grants, and allowances for purchasing bicycles, among others.