In order to provide social security benefits to the workers in the unorganised sector including migrant workers, the Government has enacted the Unorganized Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008 to provide for social security and welfare of unorganized workers including migrant workers. The Act has come into force w.e.f. 16thMay, 2009. The Act provides for formulation of scheme by the Central Government for different sections of unorganized 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.
Besides, The Government has enacted the ISMW Act, 1979. The Central Government and some of the States have signed MoUs to facilitate strengthening of inter-state coordination mechanism for smooth implementation of the ISMW Act at source and destination areas of migrant workers. The project approach includes:
(i) Social protection to brick kiln workers by converging Government schemes at source and destination areas of migrant workers.
(ii) Improving workplace facilities.
(iii) Promoting collective bargaining by imparting rights bases education to workers.
(iv) Social dialogue for improving by imparting rights based working conditions and
(v) Focused approach towards elimination of child labour in brick kilns.
This information was given by Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, the Minister of State (IC) for Labour and Employment, in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
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BCK/AK