Lok Sabha Question No. 3350 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-09
Subject: Scheme for Unorganised and Unskilled Labourers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Sanjay(Kaka) Ramchandra Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3350

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2021

## SCHEME FOR UNORGANISED AND UNSKILLED LABOURERS

3350. SHRI SANJAY KAKA PATIL:

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

- (a)whether the Government has any scheme or proposal to schedule any scheme for unorganised and unskilled labourers;
- (b)whether  the  Government  proposes  to  make  policy  for  minimum wages for unorganised and unskilled labourers and if so, the details thereof;and
- (c)whether the Government has reserve fund for it and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

- (a): The Government has many ongoing Social Security and Welfare Schemes  for  unorganized  workers.  For  example,  Life  and  disability cover  is  provided  through  Pradhan  Mantri  Jeevan  Jyoti  Bima  Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Surksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) launched in  2015.  The  health  and  maternity  benefits  are  addressed  through Ayushman  Bharat Scheme  which  is a universal health  scheme launched  in  2018.  Old  age  protection  is  provided  through  a  pension scheme  namely  Pradhan  Mantri  Shram  Yogi  Maan-dhan  (PM-SYM) Yojana launched in March, 2019.

Apart  from  these  schemes,  few  more  schemes  such  as  Public Distribution  System  through  One  Nation  One  Ration  Card  under National Food Security Act, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment  Guarantee  Act,  Deen  Dayal  Upadhyay  Gramin  Kaushal Yojana,  Pradhan  Mantri  Awas  Yojana,  Gareeb  Kalyan  Rojgar  Yojana, Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Antyodaya Yojana, PMSVANidhi, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan-dhan Yojana etc. are also available for the unorganised workers depending upon their eligibility criteria.

- (b): The Minimum Wages Act, 1948, safeguards the interests of employees, including unskilled employees in the unorganized sector,  engaged  in  the  Scheduled  employments  as  it  binds  the employers to pay the minimum wages to the employees as fixed under the statute for the work performed during a given period, which cannot be  reduced  by  collective  agreement  or  an  individual  contract.  The Central  Government  and  the  State  Governments  are  mandated  to revise the Minimum Rates of Wages payable to the employees engaged in  the  scheduled  employment  in  their  respective  jurisdictions  at intervals not exceeding five years. Accordingly, the minimum rates of wages  in  the  scheduled  employments  including  agriculture  in  the Central  sphere  were  last  revised  by  the  Central  Government  with effect  from  19.01.2017.  Further,  in  order  to  take  care  of  the  rising prices, the Central Government revises the Variable Dearness Allowance (V.D.A) on basic rates of minimum wages every six months effective  from  1st April  and  1st  October  every  year  on  the  basis  of Consumer Price Index for Industrial workers. V.D.A. was last revised w.e.f. 01.04.2021. The Minimum Wages Act, 1948 has been subsumed in  the  Code  on  Wages  2019.  The  code  on  Wages,  2019,  makes minimum wages universal for all employments and provides for floor wage. Under the provisions of the Code the minimum rates of wages fixed by the Central Government and the State Governments shall not be less than the floor wage so fixed.
- (c): In reference to the scheme of the Unorganised Workers, there is no  reserve  fund.  However,  in  the  Code  on  Social  Security  2020, recently  notified  by  the  Central  Government,  provisions  have  been made under Section 141 to create a Social Security Fund to fund the

social  security  scheme  for  the  welfare  of  unorganised  workers,  Gig workers and platform workers. ******