Centre to work out schemes to benefit unorganised workers

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New Delhi , Aug 21 : While the UPA government is working towards getting the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Bill passed in Parliament, it is also striving to implement one of the key promises in its National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) in its remaining tenure—providing social security to 93% of the Indian workforce in the unorganised sector.

The Unorganised Sector Workers’ Social Security Bill, 2008, which was introduced in the Rajya Sabha last year and referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee, was cleared by the Union Cabinet on Thursday after making necessary changes in the Bill as suggested by the Standing Committee, which included making it mandatory for the Centre to work out suitable schemes to benefit the unorganised workers. In keeping with the suggestion of the Committee, the national board, to evolve schemes for the unorganised workers, would be headed by the Union labour and employment minister and the boards at the state level would be under the state labour and employment minister. The board at the Centre would have representatives from the Parliament and those at the state level would have legislative assembly members as representatives.

Workers facilitation centres would be set up in each state to address the grievances and problems of unorgansied workers. The legislation in its current shape is based on the recommendations of the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector which was set up by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh under the chairmanship of Arjun Sengupta.