A collage of laws that leaves the worker out in the cold (The Hindu, GS-3, Economy)

20 May A collage of laws that leaves the worker out in the cold (The Hindu, GS-3, Economy)

Context:- India consists of 91% informal workers, who are at the brink because of the hardship unleashed by the pandemic and government ignorance are pushing towards poverty.

• What is the best possible thing to them for now

o   To have social security, which will provide them basic needs such as minimum wage guarantee, access to public health care etc.

• •  Indian Parliament has passed this code:- in September 2020 a Social Security Code
    • SS Code does not have provision for free basic curate health care.
    •  The SS Code 2020 merges existing social security laws and attempts to include informal workers
      • Criticism of code:- universalisation of social security remains an unfulfilled aspiration
    • the central government can extend ESI benefits to any organisation irrespective of the number of workers employed, but here lies overlapping in the functioning of state and center again.
    • This Code proposes that both the central and State governments will formulate schemes for unorganized workers
      • Criticism of code:- basic onus lies on informal workers registering as beneficiaries
  • Issue:- it is that, experience shows that there is an awful lack of awareness among informal workers regarding social security schemes
    • most informal workers lack digital literacy and connectivity
    • Informal workers also find it difficult to furnish all documentary papers
    • Continuous movement of informal workers led to lack of papers such as  proof of livelihood and income details 

• Particular acts in social security

• • Maternity benefit
  • Employees Provident Fund
  • Payment of gratuity

Way Forward:-

• inter-State arrangement and cooperation is imperative
•  the central government should conceptualize a basic structure which if works must be adopted by the state with the requisite changes
• Providing holistic social security cover for the unorganized workforce in a simple and effective manner
•  Employers should have made to the have the responsibility of providing social security

Download Daily Current Affairs of 20th May 2021

Swarn Singh

Plutus IAS Current Affair Team Member