90-day work a year: Centre floats draft new social security rules for gig workers

The Centre has released draft rules for implementing the four labour codes, which extend key protections to gig and platform workers, including minimum wages, health benefits, occupational safety measures and social security coverage.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has notified four codes — the Code on Wages, 2019; Industrial Relations Code, 2020; Code on Social Security, 2020; and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. The move comes against the backdrop of a nationwide strike by gig workers over pay, working conditions and social security.

A key highlight of the draft rules is that gig workers will be eligible if they have been engaged for at least 90 days with a single aggregator, or a minimum of 120 days across multiple aggregators, during the previous financial year. The thresholds are intended to set clear eligibility norms and provide gig workers with more predictable access to social security benefits.

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