National Database of Migrant Labourers, Fare to go home once a year, Pension and Health Benefits... Government will Bring New Law

The government has awakened due to the ongoing migrant labour crisis in the Corona period and is now going to define them again after 41 years. There is a readiness to enact a new law and implement it this year to provide social security and health benefits to people from street vendors, khomache to home-working maids.

Highlights

• Seeing the current crisis of migrant labourers, the government is going to redesign the migrant labourer after 41 years.
• Scheme to create national data base of migrant labourers, giving identity number to workers in unorganised sector.
• Preparing to give labourers home rent, pension and health benefit benefits once a year.
• Labour Ministry is preparing to make a new law for this, also plans to implement the law from this year.

Deficiencies Revealed Due to Migrant Crisis

The current migrant crisis has also highlighted the system's shortcomings. There is no unified record of migrant labourers. The Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act 1979 also applies only to institutions or contractors where 5 or more inter-state migrant labourers work. This means that a large section of migrant labourers do not come under its purview. Right from street vendors to meds working at home are not under the purview of this law.

Database will be made of unorganized sector workers, will be given identification Number

An important part of the proposed scheme is to create a database of workers in the unorganized sector. Such workers will be given a unique type of identification number which will be known as the Unorganized Worker Identification Number (U-WIN). The proposal was prepared in 2008 but the matter could not move forward. The government is preparing to bring migrant labourers under social security benefits like pension and healthcare.

National database will be linked to Aadhar card

Through this exercise, it is proposed to create a national database of migrant labourers linked to Aadhar card. States as well as states will have access to this database. The role of states will be the most important in making it.

So that every labourer can get social security and Health Benefit

There is already a pension scheme for workers in the unorganized sector. But the officials say that now preparations are being made to give them the facility of registration in ESIC at nominal fees. Through this, they will be able to get healthcare facilities. The scope of ESIC will be further expanded so that labourers in all districts are brought under its ambit and they can get health benefits.