Count Down TO BUDGET - Social security cover for labourers
Mahendra Kumar Singh & Sidhartha
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New Delhi:
TNN
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The labour ministry is set to flag off a new model for providing social security cover to unorganized sector workers besides a new on-the job training module to upgrade skills. For this, it has sought budgetary assistance of around Rs 400 crore.Sources said labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya has sought initial funding of Rs 100-200 crore for Recognition of Prior Learning, a scheme that will not only provide on-the-job training for close to 125 trades such as facto ry workers, carpenters and plumbers but also give them daily wages during the 20-30 day programme.
As part of the proposed social security net for unorganized sector workers, many of whom keep moving from one place to another, the labour ministry has proposed Unique Labour Identification Number (U-LIN), which will enable them to access health facilities across the country. The number will be modeled on the Unique Account Number for the Employees Provident Fund Orga nization that assures portabili ty of retirement savings even if aworker switches jobs.
Simultaneously , the minis try is “synchronizing“ three schemes -Rashtriya Swastha Bima Yojana, Aam Aadmi Bi ma Yojana and Old Age Pension --to make it more effective. The U-LIN plan is expected to re quire about Rs 200 crore an nually and the plan is to include housing and scholarships for education of unorganized sec tor workers. When contacted, Dattatreya did not comment on the proposals, citing Budgetrelated confidentiality. “Unorganized sector workers make up over 90% of our work force and two things are very important -social security and health coverage. We are try ing to address both the issues.“
The minister said initially the focus will be on construc tion and `beedi' workers but in a phased manner the ambit of the scheme will be widened to cover all the 43 crore unorganized sec tor workers. In the past too the government had launched pro grammes such as the National Pension Scheme targeted at un organized sector workers but had ended up focusing on the better-off sections of society.
As part of the proposed social security net for unorganized sector workers, many of whom keep moving from one place to another, the labour ministry has proposed Unique Labour Identification Number (U-LIN), which will enable them to access health facilities across the country. The number will be modeled on the Unique Account Number for the Employees Provident Fund Orga nization that assures portabili ty of retirement savings even if aworker switches jobs.
Simultaneously , the minis try is “synchronizing“ three schemes -Rashtriya Swastha Bima Yojana, Aam Aadmi Bi ma Yojana and Old Age Pension --to make it more effective. The U-LIN plan is expected to re quire about Rs 200 crore an nually and the plan is to include housing and scholarships for education of unorganized sec tor workers. When contacted, Dattatreya did not comment on the proposals, citing Budgetrelated confidentiality. “Unorganized sector workers make up over 90% of our work force and two things are very important -social security and health coverage. We are try ing to address both the issues.“
The minister said initially the focus will be on construc tion and `beedi' workers but in a phased manner the ambit of the scheme will be widened to cover all the 43 crore unorganized sec tor workers. In the past too the government had launched pro grammes such as the National Pension Scheme targeted at un organized sector workers but had ended up focusing on the better-off sections of society.
