Lok Sabha Question No. 3738 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-19
Subject: Contractual Workers in Social Security Net
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: GOPALAKRISHNAN CHINNARAJ

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3738 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.03.2018

## CONTRACTUAL WORKERS IN SOCIAL SECURITY NET

3738. DR. C. GOPALAKRISHNAN:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)whether the Government has received demands from trade unions to bring contractual  workers  under  the  social  security  net,  hiking  salaries  of
- Aanganwadi and Asha Workers etc.
- (b)if so, the details thereof and reaction of the Government thereto; and
- (c)whether  the  trade  union  has  also  demanded  for  enhancement  in  the pension  under  Employees  Pension  Scheme  (EPS)  1995  and  if  so,  the details thereof and the action taken by the Government thereon?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

- (a) to (c): Consideration of demands of trade unions and making of further improvement  in  the  benefits  available  to  workers  by  the  Government  is  a continuous process.

The contractual workers working in establishments having ten or more workmen avail social security and other benefits under the Employees' Compensation  Act  (1923),  the  Employees'  State  Insurance  Act  (1948),  the Industrial Dispute Act (1947), the Minimum Wages Act (1948), the Provident Miscellaneous Provisions  Act  (1952),  the  Maternity  Benefit  Act  (1961),  the  Payment  of

Funds Act (1925), the Employees Provident Fund and Gratuity Act (1972), etc.

Further, it has been the constant endeavor of the Government to ensure that the unorganised workers, including contractual workers engaged in establishments having less than ten workers, get social security benefits as available to the workers in the organised sector. With this objective, the Government is implementing the Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act,

2008.  The  2008  Act  stipulates  formulation  of  suitable  welfare  schemes  for unorganised workers on matters relating to life and disability cover, health and maternity benefits, old age protection. Various Ministries/Departments of the Central Government are implementing such social security schemes like Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (Ministry of Rural Development); National Family Benefit Scheme (Ministry of Rural Development);  Health  &  Maternity  Benefit  Scheme  (Ministry  of  Health  and Family  Welfare).  In  addition  to  the  above  welfare  schemes,  the  Central Government  has  recently  converged  the  social  security  schemes  of  Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana (AABY) with Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) to provide life and disability coverage to the unorganised workers for the age group of 18 to 50 years depending upon their eligibility. The annual premium is shared on 50:50  basis  by  the  Central  Government  and  the  State  Governments.  The converged  schemes  give  coverage  of  Rs.2  lakhs  on  death  at  premium  of Rs.330/-  per  annum  and  coverage  of  Rs.2  lakhs  on  accidental  death  at premium of Rs.12 per annum, besides disability benefit as per scheme. These converged schemes are being implemented by the Life Insurance Corporation of India.

Anganwadi Workers (AWWs): Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme  envisages  the  Anganwadi  Workers  (AWWs)  &  Anganwadi  Helpers (AWHs) as 'honorary workers' from the local community who come forward to  render  their  services,  on  part  time  basis,  in  the  area  of  child  care  and development.  Being  honorary  workers,  they  are  paid  monthly  honoraria  as decided  by  Government  from  time  to  time.  Continuous  efforts  have  been made  to  improve  their  working  conditions  by  extending  facilities  such  as paid absence on maternity, insurance cover under the Anganwadi Karyakartri for Anganwadi  Workers  from

Bima  Yojana,  reservation of 50%  of vacant posts of Supervisors Anganwadi  Workers, recruitment of 25%  of Anganwadi Helpers etc.

Accredited  Social  Health  Activists  (ASHAs):  Under  the  National  Health Mission (NHM), support is provided by the Central Government to supplement the  efforts  of  the  States  to  strengthen  their  health  care  delivery  systems including support for Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) as per the requirements  posed  by  them  in  their  Programme  Implementation  Plans. Under NHM, ASHAs are envisaged as honorary volunteers and receive only performance  based  incentives  that  are  linked  to  a  set  of  tasks  related  to Maternal and Child Health and disease control. However, keeping in view the important  role  that  ASHAs  play-as  a  link  between  community  and  public health  system  in  rural  areas,  the  incentives  to  ASHAs  finalized  at  the national  level  are  regularly  reviewed  by  the  Government  and  activities  for which ASHAs would get incentives are expanded from time to time.

Contd..3/:: 3 ::

Also under the National Health Mission, States have been given the flexibility to  design  their  own  incentives  to  the  ASHAs.  In  addition  to  the  monetary incentives some States also provide some nonmonetary incentives to ASHAs. Pension under the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS), 1995: Provisions under the Scheme are revised from time to time. Considering the demand from the workers'  side  the  Government  vide  Gazette  Notification  No.  593(E)  dated 19.08.2014 decided to  provide a minimum pension of Rs. 1,000/- per month for member/ widow(er)/ disabled/ nominee/dependent parent pensioners, Rs. 750/- per month for orphan pensioners and Rs. 250/- per month for children pensioners. Further, the Government raised the ceiling of pensionable salary limit under the Scheme from Rs. 6500/- per month to Rs.15, 000/- per month w.e.f. 01.09.2014.

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