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.
