Welfare of Labourers

The Government has enacted the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008, to provide for registration of unorganised workers and issuance of portable smart card by District Administration and for formulation of suitable welfare schemes for unorganised workers on matters relating to: (i) life and disability cover, (ii) health and maternity benefits, (iii) old age protection and (iv) any other benefit as may be determined by the Central Government through the National Social Security Board. Various Schemes, formulated by the Government to provide social security cover to the unorganized workers, listed in the Schedule I of the above Act are as under:

i. Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (Ministry of Rural Development)

ii. National Family Benefit Scheme (Ministry of Rural Development)

iii. Janani Suraksha Yojana (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)

iv. Handloom Weavers’ Comprehensive Welfare Scheme (Ministry of Textiles)

v. Handicraft Artisans’ Comprehensive Welfare Scheme (Ministry of Textiles)

vi. Pension to Master Craft Persons. (Ministry of Textiles)

vii. National Scheme for Welfare of Fishermen and Training and Extension (Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries)

viii. Aam Admi Bima Yojana. (Department of Financial Services)

ix. Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)

It is informed that in the Employment-Unemployment surveys conducted by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), detailed information of employment and unemployment aspects of people are collected along with their conditions of employment. Information on ‘conditions of the unorganised/ unskilled labourers/workers of the country including their health condition’ is not available. However, from the results of latest Employment-Unemployment Survey (EUS) conducted by NSSO during its 68th round (July 2011 – June 2012), estimated percentage of “employees” in usual status engaged in AGEGC and non-agricultural sector who (i) had no “written job contract”, (ii) were not eligible for “paid leave” and (iii) were not eligible for any “social security benefit”.

The agriculture sector excluding market gardening, horticulture and growing of crops combined with farming of animals is referred to as AGEGC sector.

Based on the results of latest Employment-Unemployment survey (EUA), conducted by NSSO during its 68th round (July 2011- June 2012), estimated Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) according to usual status among persons of age 15 years and above was 55.9 per cent. Comparative information on ‘ratio of labour force in the age group of 15 years and above to the total population’ with other countries is not available.

This information was given by Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, the Minister of State (IC) for Labour and Employment, in reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.