Guwahati, Jul 24 (PTI) Congress MLA Zubair Anam Mazumder on Friday urged the Assam government to constitute a welfare board for gig workers and put in place a comprehensive social security framework for them.
Raising the issue through a private member’s resolution in the Assembly, Mazumder said gig and platform workers constitute a “parallel economy” but are not given due recognition and professional safety nets.
He urged the government to formulate and implement a comprehensive social security framework for gig and platform workers, including those engaged in app-based transport, food delivery, e-commerce delivery, logistics, home services and other digital platforms.
“The gig workers are not an invisible force; they are a parallel economy. They are people of flesh and blood, but we do not acknowledge them. Many apartments do not allow the delivery agents to use the lifts, but pet dogs are,” he said.
Mazumder lamented that the dignity of labour was yet to receive due recognition in the country and that respect was often measured by a person’s financial status.
“They do not have any social security. They do not have any grievance redressal system. Their entire work is determined by some algorithm,” he said.
He maintained that while it will take time to change people’s mentality, a faster way to ensure dignity for gig workers is by framing laws for them.
He claimed that states such as Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar and Rajasthan have welfare boards to address problems of gig workers, and urged the Assam government to also form such a body.
Labour Welfare Minister Rameswar Teli, replying to the resolution, said laws governing the gig workers, who are classified under unorganised workers, are formulated by the central government.
He said the central government has been working on labour law reforms, which were reflected in the new labour codes introduced last year. PTI SSG SSG MNB
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