Lok Sabha Question No. 2411 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-18
Subject: Scheme for Daily Wage Workers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: M.K. Vishnu Prasad, Sanjeev Kumar Singari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2411

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.12.2023

## SCHEME FOR DAILY WAGE WORKERS

2411. DR. VISHNU PRASAD M.K.: DR. SANJEEV KUMAR SINGARI:

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

- (a)whether the Government has launched any scheme during the year 2022-23 for the betterment of daily wagers working in their local area to prevent their migration to other States or regions for work and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)whether the Government proposes to move from 'minimum wages' to 'living wage';
- (c)if so, the details of the measures taken by the Government along with the number of people likely to be benefitted therefrom; and
- (d)whether  the  Government  has  launched  awareness  campaigns about centrally sponsored schemes for daily wages workers and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to (d): As  per  the  Unorganised  Workers'  Social Security  Act, 2008, the Government is mandated to provide Social Security to the workers  of  unorganized  sector  including  daily  wage  workers  by formulating suitable welfare schemes on matters relating to life and disability cover, health and maternity benefits, old age protection etc. The details of the social security schemes available for unorganised sector workers including daily wage workers are as follow:
- (i)  Life  and  Disability  cover  is  provided  through  Pradhan  Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY).

(ii) The health and maternity benefits are insured through Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). It provides health  insurance  coverage  upto  Rs.  5.00  lakhs  per  family  for secondary and tertiary care related hospitalization.

(iii)  Old  age  protection  is  provided  through  Pradhan  Mantri  Shram Yogi Maan-dhan Yojana (PM-SYM) in the form of  monthly pension of Rs. 3000/- after attaining the age of 60 years to unorganized workers.

Apart from above, other schemes such as Public Distribution  System  through  One  Nation  One  Ration  Card  scheme under National Food Security Act, Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment  Guarantee  Act,  Deen  Dayal  Upadhyay  Gramin  Kausal Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Rojgar  Yojana,  Mahatma  Gandhi  Bunkar  Bima  Yojana,  Deen  Dayal Antyodaya  Yojana,  PMSVANidhi,  Pradhan  Mantri  Kaushal  Vikas Yojana  etc.  are  also  available  for  the  unorganized  sector  workers including daily wage workers depending upon their eligibility criteria.

Provision of minimum wages under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 provides for cost of living allowance as a component of minimum wages. Accordingly, the Central Government revises the cost  of  living  allowance  called  as  Variable  Dearness  Allowance (V.D.A) on basic rates of minimum wages under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, every six months effective from 1st April and 1st October every  year  on  the  basis  of  Consumer  Price  Index  for  Industrial workers to protect the minimum wages against inflation. Recently the provisions  of  the  Minimum  Wages  Act,  1948,  have  been rationalized and subsumed under the Code on Wages, 2019 and the components of minimum wages stipulated therein also provide for cost of living allowance. Further, the Code makes minimum wages universally  applicable  across  employments  and  thus  moves  ahead from restrictive applicability of minimum wages limited to scheduled employments as provided for under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.

The provision under the code are yet to come into force.

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