Karnataka government to introduce Gig Workers Bill

After #Rajasthan, #Karnataka is set to introduce a comprehensive bill aimed at enhancing the welfare of #gigworkers.

The draft, titled the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2024, proposes establishing a welfare board and creating a dedicated fund for gig workers engaged with digital platforms.

DR. MANJUNATH, Additional Labour Commissioner: "We were trying to understand whether we could levy the cess on the transactions that each of the gig workers makes or whether it should be on the annual turnover of the businesses. We have now arrived at some sort of consensus. The consensus is that aggregators, though they have different business models, there is some uniformity in the way in which we can levy the cess on the transactions mode because each transaction is a unit where the labour works on that."

The initiative targets #workers in sectors such as ride-sharing, food and grocery delivery, logistics, e-marketplaces, professional services, healthcare, travel, hospitality, and content creation.

The proposed bill, scheduled for presentation in the upcoming assembly session, will fund welfare measures through deductions from each transaction rather than annual turnovers. This approach has garnered support from various aggregators and associations.

SANTOSH LAD, the Labour Minister: "We have been working with all the rated businesses, people who are associated with gig platform businesses, especially online platforms like #Flipkart, #Amazon, #Swiggy, #Zomato. We have been having meetings with them, which you have seen. We have been doing many rounds of meetings to understand how this cess has to be collected or the fee to be collected. We had a series of meetings. I believe in the next assembly they will table this new law, hopefully it goes through and helps the larger interest of the gig workers."

Gig workers and associations across the state expressed support and said that the bill will help protect the interests of the workers.

SHEIK SALAUDIN, General Secretary, Indian Federation of app based transport workers: "We had a fruitful discussion regarding gig and platform workers with the minister. The minister is really interested in transaction-based levies and the welfare of the workers who take up losses in terms of health, safety, and social security. In that regard, a big meeting was held with all aggregator companies, civil societies, and trade unions."

TANVEER PASHA, President of Ola-Uber Association: "The powers of disqualifying the gig worker shouldn't be without any reason. You can't disqualify a worker without any job security. Nowadays, they are blacklisting a gig worker without any job security. So if you block them, they don’t have any jobs. Now they can’t disqualify the person. They have to give 15 days' notice and they have to give a reason. Then the committee will decide if the reason is valid or not, and only then can they disqualify the workers."

MANTESH, Swiggy delivery person: "I feel that this is a good initiative. This will ensure gig workers will get help, support and encouragement so I feel this is a good move."

As per officials, there are nearly two lakh gig workers in Bengaluru alone who are attached to various platforms.
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Video and Text Credit: PTI
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