Siddaramaiah meets Rahul Gandhi; gig workers welfare board to be established in K'taka

Bengaluru, April 3 (IANS) A decision to establish a gig workers Welfare Board in Karnataka was taken during a meeting led by Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in New Delhi on Thursday.

The Chief Minister’s Office said that the state government had been working towards implementing necessary measures for the welfare of gig workers employed in companies such as Amazon, Flipkart, and several other platforms.

“During the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi had also raised his voice in support of gig workers and their well-being. In today’s meeting held at Rahul Gandhi’s residence, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with Minister for Labour Santosh Lad, Minister for RDPR, IT and BT Priyank Kharge, and Minister for Large and Medium Industries M.B. Patil, participated in a comprehensive discussion on the matter,” it said.

It added that the meeting was productive, leading to the decision to establish the Gig Workers' Welfare Board.

“It was also decided that a 5 per cent cess would be collected from relevant companies, and the remaining required funds would be provided by the government to formulate schemes and organise programmes for the welfare of gig workers,” it further added.

The Chief Minister’s Office said that in the meeting led by Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and three ministers regarding the welfare of gig workers, three representatives from the gig workers’ sector were also given an opportunity to participate.

Rakshitha Dev from Karnataka, Sheikh Salahuddin from Hyderabad, and Nikhil Dev attended the meeting as representatives of gig workers. Rahul Gandhi appreciated all eight key proposals prepared by the Labour Department.

As the next step, a comprehensive bill incorporating all necessary aspects will be presented before the state cabinet for approval.

The Chief Minister’s Office said that the Labour Department has already introduced three significant bills, including the Gratuity Bill for Workers and the Cinema Workers' Bill.

“Now, with plans to introduce a law for the welfare of gig workers, the unorganised labour sector in the state has expressed great appreciation and congratulated the government for its concern and initiative,” it added.

--IANS

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