CHENNAI: The labour welfare and skill development department has constituted the Tamil Nadu Platform Based Gig Workers Welfare Board, which will cater to workers in e-commerce services including online food delivery and cab aggregators. The labour department expects more than one lakh workers to register in the welfare board.
Though the government has released orders, officials from the labour welfare department said that the administrative process for the newly-formed welfare board is yet to begin. “At present, these workers can register themselves with the Tamil Nadu Manual Workers Social Security and Welfare Board and we will shift them to the dedicated board.”
“This will help them get basic social security benefits from a welfare board and we’re working on special benefits for platform workers,” an official said. People in the age group of 18-60 years can be part of this union.
As employees are usually enrolled in a welfare board based on letters from the employers or trade unions, the department is figuring out how to identify platform workers who have aggregators instead of direct employers and are scattered without a trade union.
CM MK Stalin had on August 15 announced that a welfare board for platform workers will be formed. This is part of efforts taken by the state government for the welfare of the unorganised workers, the release said. This is the 19th welfare board in the state for unorganised workers.