Code on Social Security, 2020 extends social security to all employees in organised and unorganised sectors

The Central Government has enacted the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 to regulate the employment of contract labour in certain establishments and to provide for its abolition in certain circumstances. The Government is implementing various Acts and Schemes to provide social security and welfare benefits to workers including contract workers/labourers/employees, both in the organised and unorganised sector. The social security to the workers in the organized sector is provided mainly through five Central Acts, namely, the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948, the Employees’ Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, the Employee’s Compensation Act, 1923, the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 and the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 etc. as per their eligibility.

In order to provide social security benefits to the workers in the unorganised sector, the Central Government is implementing Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008, to provide welfare schemes in matters relating to life and disability cover, health and maternity benefits, old age protection to the unorganised workers. Various Ministries/Departments of the Central Government are also implementing such social security schemes like, Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan Pension Scheme (PM-SYM) to provide old age social security in the form of monthly pension (Ministry of Labour and Employment), health and maternity schemes (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare). The Central Government is also implementing Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) to provide life and disability coverage to the unorganised workers depending upon their eligibility.

The Government has also formulated the Code on Social Security, 2020 to extend social security to all employees and workers in organised and unorganised sectors.