Over 1L gig workers to benefit as State forms welfare board

CHENNAI: Four months after Chief Minister MK Stalin announced the constitution of a welfare board for gig workers, the government on Wednesday issued an order in this regard, benefitting more than a lakh gig workers in the State.

With this, Tamil Nadu has become the second State in the country to form an exclusive welfare board for the gig workers, after Rajasthan. It would help gig workers avail financial assistance under the State’s welfare schemes.

The board will come under sub-section (1) of section 6 of TN Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Workers) Act 1982, said Kumar Jayant, additional chief secretary of labour welfare and skill development.

“We will explore the legal provisions and procedures to constitute the new welfare board. Simultaneously, they will be enrolled in the existing manual workers’ board,” said a senior official.

Welcoming the move, the general secretary of Tamil Nadu Food and Allied Products Delivery Workers’ Union S Ramakrishnan said, “We see this as a beginning of our long fight towards the rights of food delivery workers. They have been demanding to define the employer-employee relationship and bring them under the labour laws.”

“We have been treated as slaves by our employers. We flagged the issue and resorted to protest a couple of months ago after issuing a notice and placing our demands. But the employers removed 50 of the workers for protest. We want the government to address our issues and guarantee our rights,” he said.