After the passage of the historic Rajasthan Minimum Guaranteed Income Law on 22nd July 2023, we write to you to share yet another significant development from the State. The Rajasthan Assembly has passed the Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare Act), 2023. In yet another series of firsts, this has become the first State in the country to pass a legislation ensuring social security of platform-based gig workers in the State. The key provisions of the Act include:
1. Setting up of a tripartite board with the representation of aggregators, worker organizations and Government tasked with the powers to register platform-based gig workers in the State, notify and administer social security schemes for them and monitor the implementation of the Act
2. Introduction of a dedicated welfare cess fee on each bill generated by the aggregator to the customer. The fee collected from individual transactions will be credited to a social security fund which shall be used towards financing schemes meant for the welfare of platform-based gig workers
3. Automatic registration of all platform-based gig workers operating in the state as soon as they ‘onboard’ aggregator platforms, irrespective of the duration of their association with the platform
4. Presence of a centralized tracking and management system that shall function as a common portal for all financial transactions taking place on the aggregator’s platform. The breakdown of individual bills into its constituent parts i.e. fare charged/service costs for the customer, payment made to the platform worker, cess fee deducted etc will be reflected in the centralized tracking and management system at the transaction level.
4. Making Department of Labour and the Tripartite Board responsible for registering, acknowledging and redressing grievances faced by platform basis gig workers in a time bound manner
The SR Abhiyan which has been involved with the advocacy and drafting of the Bill welcomes this critical breakthrough that ensures the rights of a class of extremely vulnerable workers in present times. We recognize this as an important first step towards a long path ahead for ensuring their rights to a decent, dignified and safe livelihood for all unorganized workers in rural and urban areas. We thank the tremendously inspiring movements of workers and worker unions that led to the passage of the Maharashtra Mathadi Hamal and other Manual Workers Act, Building and other Construction Workers Act and others which showed us the way forward.
We look forward to being in touch with you towards ensuring the implementation of this important law in letter and spirit.
Soochna Evum Rozgar Adhikar Abhiyan
