NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Labour and Employment has notified the constitution of two distinct bodies aimed

NEW DELHI — The Ministry of Labour and Employment has notified the constitution of two distinct bodies aimed at expanding welfare frameworks, establishing a 40-member National Social Security Board for unorganised workers alongside a 22-member board dedicated to gig and platform workers.

The notifications, issued on Friday (October 30), follow the broader implementation of the Code on Social Security, which was notified alongside three other labour codes in November last year. By consolidating nine separate social security laws, the legislative framework legally defined gig and platform workers for the first time while mandating a unified national registration system and a designated social security fund.

The newly formed boards are tasked with designing, monitoring, and recommending targeted welfare schemes under the code. According to official guidelines, the National Social Security Board is slated to meet at least thrice a year to advise the Central government on appropriate policy interventions.

The 22-member gig and platform workers board features the Union Labour Minister and the Labour Secretary serving as chairperson and vice-chairperson, respectively. Its roster includes representatives from major aggregators such as Eternal, Zepto, Swiggy, and Urban Company, alongside worker union representatives from the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT), and the National Front of Indian Trade Unions (NFITU).

Under the statutory framework governing these platforms, aggregators including Amazon, Flipkart, Swiggy, and Zomato are mandated to contribute between 1% and 2% of their annual turnover toward the social security fund, with contributions capped at 5% of the total amount payable to workers. These funds will support welfare measures administered through an Aadhaar-linked Universal Account Number system used to register workers.

Concurrently, the unorganised sector board comprises 40 members, featuring equal representation from seven employees’ representatives and seven employers’ representatives, with prominent placement from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-linked bodies such as the BMS and Laghu Udyog Bharati.

In a parallel expansion of institutional protections, Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) provisions have been extended to all commercial establishments employing 20 or more workers, removing the previous regulatory restriction that largely limited applicability to Schedule 1 manufacturing entities regardless of industry type.

Projections underscore the growing scale of the sector. According to NITI Aayog estimates, India’s gig economy is projected to employ 2.35 crore workers by the fiscal year 2029-30.