Centre constitutes social security boards for unorganised, gig, platform workers

The Union Labour Ministry has constituted two statutory bodies: the National Social Security Board for Unorganised Workers and the National Social Security Board for Gig & Platform Workers. Their purpose is to help shape welfare protection for workers who fall outside, or do not fully fit, traditional formal employment structures. Both boards will recommend suitable schemes and advise the Union government on administering the Social Security Code.

For example, the gig and platform board can consider welfare schemes for workers connected with aggregators such as Swiggy, Zepto, Urban Company and Rapido. It will also monitor schemes, review State-level record-keeping, and examine spending from the relevant fund and account. The unorganised workers’ board has comparable responsibilities for traditional unorganised workers.

Each board must meet at least three times a year. Their recommendations will not automatically become benefits, but they can guide Union government decisions. The ministry calls the boards a shift toward including digital gig and platform professionals in India’s formal welfare architecture.

The National Social Security Board for Unorganised Workers has 40 members. The National Social Security Board for Gig & Platform Workers has 22 members. Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya chairs both, while the Union Labour Secretary serves as vice-chairman.

Their membership spans Central and State governments, prominent aggregator companies, employers, civil society organisations, workers’ unions, and associations representing gig and platform workers. Named participants include Eternal Group, formerly Zomato Limited, Swiggy Limited, Zepto Limited, Urban Company and Rapido. Labour Department officers from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat are also included.

Other members include Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Laghu Udyog Bharati, the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers, V.V. Giri National Labour Institute and the Dattopant Thengadi Board for Workers Education and Development. This broad membership brings competing interests into the boards, although a trade union leader criticised the balance as government-heavy.

An unorganised worker is generally someone working outside the organised sector, often without a standard employer-based structure or stable formal protections. A gig worker typically earns through short-term, task-based or assignment-based work rather than an ongoing employment relationship. These are broad labour concepts; the article specifically distinguishes traditional unorganised workers from gig and platform workers.

A delivery rider accepting individual orders is an example of gig work. If the orders are obtained and managed through an app operated by an aggregator, the worker is also a platform worker. The key mechanism is the digital platform, which connects workers with customers or tasks. Not every unorganised worker uses such a platform, so the categories overlap but are not identical.

The new boards reflect this distinction. One covers traditional unorganised workers, while the other focuses on gig and platform workers. The article does not provide legal definitions for each term, but it places both groups within the Code on Social Security’s welfare framework.

Traditional organised-sector systems are usually built around a clear employer, regular employment and established workplace records. Gig and platform work can operate differently, with workers receiving assignments through aggregators and performing separate tasks. That difference can make ordinary employment-linked welfare arrangements harder to apply. The article therefore describes a dedicated statutory framework for gig and platform professionals.

For instance, the new board includes companies such as Eternal Group, Swiggy, Zepto, Urban Company and Rapido, alongside worker associations and unions. This membership can bring the companies’ operating models and workers’ concerns into discussions about suitable schemes. The board can also advise on administering the Social Security Code and monitor welfare programmes.

The framework is intended to integrate digital gig and platform professionals into India’s formal welfare architecture. However, the article does not promise particular benefits or explain how contributions will work. Its practical value will depend on the schemes ultimately recommended, government decisions, monitoring and whether benefits reach workers and their families.

The boards can shape welfare protection in three connected ways. They can recommend suitable schemes for different groups, advise the Union government on the Social Security Code, and monitor social welfare schemes. Their reviews can identify whether State records are being maintained and whether money from the relevant fund and account is being spent properly.

For example, the gig and platform board could assess a scheme for workers linked to Swiggy, Rapido or Urban Company. It could examine how workers are recorded, review implementation and inspect expenditure. The board’s recommendations would give the Union government evidence and advice for adjusting schemes or designing targeted support. Similar work would apply to traditional unorganised workers.

The article does not specify the benefits, eligibility rules or payment amounts. It does report that worker representatives see actual benefits for workers and families as the test of success. Thus, the boards may improve reach and accountability, but their impact depends on government action and effective implementation.

Under the statutory framework described in the article, the boards recommend suitable schemes for different sections of unorganised workers, gig workers and platform workers. They also advise the Union government on administering the Social Security Code. This gives them a formal role in shaping policy and assessing how the framework works.

Their responsibilities extend beyond recommendations. They monitor social welfare schemes, review record-keeping functions performed at the State level, and review expenditure from the fund and account. They must meet at least thrice a year, while the Union government will prescribe their rules of procedure. The government may also assign them other functions from time to time.

These powers create an oversight and advice mechanism, not an automatic guarantee of a specific payment. The article does not state that the boards directly distribute benefits. Their influence will depend on the quality of their recommendations, the records and spending information available, and how the Union government acts on their advice.

Social security generally means public or employment-related protection against risks that can damage a person’s health, ability to work or income. These risks include illness, injury, disability, old age and loss of earnings. Support may take different forms, such as payments, services or insurance, depending on the governing system. The article focuses on the institutional framework, not particular benefits.

A worker facing an injury or disability, for example, may need help replacing lost income or meeting related costs. A worker reaching old age may need continuing support after work ends. Social security helps spread these risks through organised schemes rather than leaving each worker and family to manage them alone. The new boards can recommend and monitor schemes for covered groups.

The Labour Ministry says the boards bring gig and platform professionals into India’s formal welfare architecture. They also cover traditional unorganised workers. The article does not specify eligibility, contribution rules or benefit amounts, so the boards’ eventual recommendations and government decisions will determine the practical protection available.