Workforce in Organised/Unorganised Sector

NEW DELHI, Dec. 19 -- India'sMinistry of Labour and Employment issued the following news release:

According to the survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) in 2004-05, the total number of labourers was 459 million. About 433 million (about 94%) of the total workforce is engaged in unorganized sector and 26 million on organized sector. The Government does not have any new proposal to enlist the entire workforce in the organized as well as unorganized sectors. The organized sector is already covered through social security legislations like the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 and the Employees State Insurance Act, 1948. The Government has also enacted Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act to create a framework for providing social security to unorganized workers.

Under the scheme of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), a package of six services viz. Supplementary Nutrition, Pre-School Non-formal Education, Nutrition and Health Education, Immunization, Health check-up and Referral Services is offered. The latter three services are provided through the Public Health Infrastructure System by taking the services of Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) etc.

ICDS scheme envisages AWWs as honorary workers from local community who can render their services on part-time basis. The scheme provides that they would be paid a fixed amount of honorarium per month as may be decided by the Government from time to time. In a ruling of 07.12.2006 in Civil Appeal No. 4953-4957 of 1998 State of Karnataka and others Vs. Ameerbi & others, the Hon'ble Supreme Court has held that Anganwadi Workers/Anganwadi Helpers do not hold any civil post and Minimum Wages Act is also not applicable to them.

(f): The Government is committed to improving the conditions of workers in the unorganized sector. Under the Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act, 2008, National Social Security Board at the Central level has been constituted for recommending formulation of social security schemes for unorganised workers.

The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) was launched to provide smart card based cashless health insurance cover of Rs. 30,000/- per annum on a family floater basis to BPL families (a unit of five) in the unorganized sector. More than 2,54 crore smart cards have been issued as on 30.11.2010. RSBY has been extended to building and other construction workers, street vendors, beedi workers, MGNREGA beneficiaries who have worked for more than 15 days during the preceding financial year and domestic Workers.

The Government has launched the Aam Admi Bima Yojana (AABY) to provide insurance against death and disability.

Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme has been expanded by revising the criteria of eligibility. All citizens above the age of 65 years and living below poverty line are eligible for benefits under the scheme. To expand the old age protection cover, the Government has now reduced the age for eligibility of pension from 65 years to 60 years and for the persons above the age of 80 years the amount has been raised from Rs. 200 to Rs. 500 per month.

The Government is implementing various other employment generation/social security schemes for workers in the unorganised sector, such as Swarnjayanti Gram Swaarojgar Yojana, Swarn Jayanti Shahari Rajgar Yojana, Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, Handloom Weavers' comprehensive Welfare Schemes, Handicraft Artisans' comprehensive Welfare Schemes, Pension to Mastercrafts persons, National Scheme for Welfare of Fishermen and Training and Extension, Janshree Bima Yojana New Pension Schemes (Swavalamban scheme) through various Ministries/Departments.

The Government has constituted Welfare Funds for some categories of workers like beedi, cine and non-coal mine workers in the unorganised sector. The Welfare Funds are utilized to provide for financial of measures to promote the welfare for workers including women workers engaged in these occupations. The welfare measures include health & medical care, insurance, housing, education, recreation, water supply, maternity benefits etc.

This information was given by the Minister of Labour and Employment Shri Mallikarjun Kharge in reply in reply to a written question in the Lok Sabha today.

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