New Delhi- The government announced on Saturday that India’s new labour laws will drive inclusive growth and strengthen social security for gig workers and women, enabling greater participation in the workforce.
India has overhauled its labour regulation framework through the implementation of four key labour codes: the Code on Wages (2019), the Industrial Relations Code (2020), the Code on Social Security (2020), and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code (2020).
Among these, the Code on Social Security, 2020 plays a critical role in ensuring comprehensive protection for all workers, especially gig workers and women. According to an official statement, the Code “reflects the government’s commitment to inclusive growth and social security for all, aligned with the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.”
Key Provisions for Gig and Platform Workers
For the first time, gig and platform workers have been formally recognised under labour regulations. The Code establishes a Social Security Fund dedicated to their welfare.
Under Sections 113 and 114, social security benefits—such as life insurance, disability cover, health and maternity benefits, and provident fund schemes—are extended to unorganised, gig, and platform workers.
A National Social Security Board will also be set up to advise the government on schemes for these worker groups.
Additionally, EPFO and ESIC coverage has been expanded nationwide, bringing more establishments and employees under formal social protection.
The Social Security Code consolidates nine existing social security laws, ensuring a unified framework for organised, unorganised, gig, and platform workers.
Provisions to Empower Women Workers
The new labour laws introduce several gender-inclusive and supportive measures for women in the workforce:
- 26 weeks of paid maternity leave
- Eligibility for equal wages during maternity leave for women who have worked at least 80 days in the preceding 12 months
- 12 weeks of maternity benefit for adoptive mothers of children below 3 months and commissioning mothers
- Work-from-home flexibility for women returning after maternity leave, based on mutual agreement with the employer
- Nursing breaks: Two breaks per day for breastfeeding until the child is 15 months old
- Crèche facilities: Mandatory for establishments with 50 or more employees; this requirement is now gender-neutral
Ease of Doing Business
The Social Security Code also aims to promote business efficiency through:
- Digital record-keeping
- Decriminalisation and compounding of minor offences
- A transparent, tech-driven Inspector-cum-Facilitator system
These reforms are expected to make compliance simpler while ensuring broad-based social protection.
–With inputs from IANS