UPSC Articles
Social Security Code
Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II and III – Govt policies and schemes;
Key facts:
- Even 73 years after Independence, only 9.3% of India’s 466 million-strong workforce has social security.
- This means the remaining 90.7% still cannot aspire to protections that civil servants, employees of most registered private sector enterprises, banks and public sector employees, legislators and judges take for granted.
- No other G20 country has such a high share of informal workers.
About:
Report on Social Security Code by Parliamentary Committee on Labour –
- Recommended the eligibility period for gratuity payable to an employee on termination of his employment should be reduced to one year from the present provision of five years.
- Also recommended that this facility be extended to all kinds of employees, including contract labourers, seasonal workers, piece rate workers, fixed term employees and daily/monthly wage workers.
- Stressed that there should be a robust redressal mechanism in case an employer does not pay up the dues.
- Highlighted that the draft social security code does not state any goal of providing social security to all its citizens.
- Recommended that the Social Security Code should have provisions to hold the employer liable for payment of gratuity to the employees within a stipulated time frame.
