Trade unions bat for social security benefits, minimum wage for platform gig workers

Among the other demands of the trade unions are income security and reasonable working conditions

The Joint Committee of Trade Unions (JCTU), comprising eight central trade unions, has demanded that the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers Bill must ensure minimum wages, maternity leave and benefits such as provident funds, bonuses and gratuity for gig and platform workers.  

Presenting a draft document listing out objections and suggestions to the bill, the union leaders, at a round table conference, demanded that the rights of the platform-based gig workers should be covered under the provisions of the Workmen’s Compensation Act, Industrial Disputes Act, Minimum Wages Act, Maternity Benefits Act, Payment of Bonus Act and Payment of Gratuity Act.

“Informal workers constitute 93% of the 500 million workforce. But the central and State governments say they will introduce welfare schemes for them. There is a difference between statutory benefits and welfare schemes. Implementation of statutory benefits is mandatory, whereas welfare schemes can change from time to time,” pointed out Babu Mathew, professor at NLSIU and former trade unionist.  

Fair representation

The other demands of the trade unions included income security and statutory minimum wages, reasonable working conditions, including overtime wages for work beyond eight hours, and welfare fees, which would be a percentage of each transaction. 

“There shall be charged, from an aggregator, a welfare fee known as the “Platform based Gig workers welfare fee”, which shall be at such rate (per cent) of each transaction, not less than 1 per cent and not more than 3 per cent of the transaction cost paid by the consumer of the platform,” read the draft document prepared by the unions.  

The demands also included equal representation of government, trade union representatives of gig workers and aggregators on the gig workers welfare board, provisions mandating aggregators to provide a database of all gig workers registered with them, and clauses preventing termination or penalisation of a gig worker without adhering to principles of natural justice, among others. 

Minimum wage question

Union representatives suggested that net earnings, and not gross wage, of the platform worker should be fixed as equal to the minimum wage. Costs incurred by the worker, such as commission to the platforms, direct fuel costs, indirect maintenance costs, depreciation, taxes and so on, have to be accounted for, they pointed out.  

“The income/wages received by the workers shall fulfil the Statutory Minimum wages as per the Minimum wages Act, and the State government shall, according to the provisions of the Minimum wages Act, notify the fixation and revision of Minimum wages under a schedule for Gig workers,” read the document which suggested that the standard for different platforms should be fixed based on annual wage surveys.  

Mr. Mathew argued that the platform workers should be given minimum wages of semi-skilled workers and not of unskilled workers.  

Meenakshi Sundaram of CITU noted that the Bill should contain provisions to avoid unhealthy competition between platforms that put the health and lives of workers at risk. He also suggested additional allowance for risk taken by workers like delivery personnels.

The Karnataka government, which held 42 meetings regarding the Bill, did not hold a single meeting with any of the central trade unions, alleged Sathyananda of AITUC, who stressed the need for a tripartite mechanism.

Representatives from INTUC, AITUC, CITU, HMS, AIUTUC, AICCTU, TUCC, HMKP, members of the United Food Delivery Partners’ Union and drivers who work with cab aggregators participated in the conference. Union leaders also registered protest against the 6-day menstrual leave proposal by the Karnataka government and demanded one day leave per month for the same.

Published - November 20, 2024 06:59 am IST