New Delhi [India], September 17 : The central government, which is actively exploring various avenues to ensure gig and platform workers are covered under social security schemes, has invited platform aggregators to register themselves and their platform workers on the e-Shram Portal.
As per a statement from the Ministry of Labour and Employment on Tuesday, this registration process is crucial to ensuring workers' access to social welfare schemes, while aggregators will help develop an accurate registry of beneficiaries.
To guide the process, the Ministry has issued an advisory with a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlining aggregator responsibilities, including registering workers and updating their data.
The e-Shram portal is meant to register and support unorganised workers by providing them with a Universal Account Number (UAN). eShram portal captures details of workers such as name, permanent address, current address, occupation, educational qualification, and skill type, among others.
Upon registration, platform workers will receive a Universal Account Number (UAN), which will allow them access to key social security benefits, the ministry said.
"Central Government, working with few aggregators, has successfully completed testing for API integration and is advancing the registration process. This joint effort aims to ensure full coverage of gig workers, with ongoing collaboration between the Ministry and platform aggregators," the statement read.
Through the guidelines, the Aggregators have also been requested to regularly update workers' details, including work engagement and payments.
Any workers' exit must be reported promptly to maintain accurate records.
To assist with the onboarding of workers and aggregators, a toll-free helpline (14434) has been set up to provide information, guide registration, and resolve any technical issues encountered during the process.
The Ministry has also scheduled a meeting with the Aggregators on Wednesday, which will be chaired by Union Minister of Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya, to sensitise and encourage them in this important initiative.
Chairing a review meeting recently, the minister said that his government is committed to extending social security benefits to gig and platform workers.
"Our government is fully committed to the well-being of gig and platform workers, who form a crucial part of our workforce," the Minister stated, as per an official statement from his ministry recently.
The Minister had also underscored the importance of the Code on Social Security, which, for the first time, defines gig and platform workers in India.
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