Labour Ministry publishes draft rules; gig workers’ unions seek clarity | Industry News – Business Standard

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Draft rules under the new Labour Codes set minimum work-day criteria for gig workers to access social security benefits, prompting unions to seek clarity on eligibility and safeguards

According to the rules, gig workers between the ages of 16 and 60 are eligible for social security benefits

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The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, in its draft rules for the four new Labour Codes, has said that gig and platform workers are required to work for at least 90 days with an aggregator within a financial year to be eligible for social security benefits. In case a gig worker is working with multiple aggregators, the workers are required to work for at least 120 days. The ministry published the rules on December 31 for public comments.

According to the rules, gig workers between the ages of 16 and 60 are eligible for social security benefits.

Commenting on the draft rules, gig workers’ unions such as the Gig Workers Association (GigWA) and the Gig and Informal Platform Workers Union (GIPSWU) welcomed the initiative for legal recognition of gig and platform workers, and said the attempt to include them within the ambit of social security provisions is a welcome change. However, they said there needs to be more clarity on the eligibility criteria and the processes to access these benefits.

“The draft rules are a positive step, but the eligibility conditions may exclude a section of workers, especially those engaged in part-time, intermittent or seasonal platform work. Many workers do not work continuously for a single platform or may not meet minimum work-day (90 days/120 days) or contribution thresholds because they log in based on availability, health, caregiving responsibilities or lack of consistent demand,” said Nitesh Kumar Das, organising secretary of GigWA.

In addition to the above concerns, GIPSWU noted that the rules do not focus on harassment faced by workers and that there is no mention of a minimum wage. There is a need for strict oversight to hold companies accountable, said Nirmal Gorana Agni, national coordinator of the union.

Recently, Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya spoke of the government’s target of extending social security coverage to 100 crore workers by March 2026, up from about 94 crore at present. According to ministry data, coverage has risen from 19 per cent in 2015 to over 64 per cent in 2025.