Explore the ongoing impact of the 2008 Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act in India, assessing registration success, welfare funds, health benefits, and challenges faced by unorganized laborers.
Some people would ask what the meaning of life is. Some might even go as far as to say that it’s to work, save, and retire. But what about the people who don’t want to do any of these things? Is the goal of life just for them to live a meaningless existence? No! The goal should be for everyone in society, not just those who are able to work and save every penny they earn. This act seeks to provide social security benefits for the unorganized sector workers. The term ‘unorganized workers’ was defined in the MSO Muhiram definition. This definition says that unorganized workers are people who perform manual jobs other than agriculture and are regular wage/salaried employees. It is important to note that this law is meant to protect these people, but it will take many years before this happens as it hasn’t been operational since its creation. The government has also passed a resolution saying that every individual under this act will be insured by the Social Security Scheme Trust. This Act was created to provide social security after retirement. This means that people who have contributed to this fund can get pension payouts when they retire. However, in India, there are no such systems in place yet, so it cannot be said whether this scheme will work or not until they are operational. However, there have been some concerns raised about this act, as it has been said that there might be some problems with its implementation. To make it work, this act will have to be implemented properly for the unorganized sector workers.
As the 2008 Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act is still being implemented, there are no comprehensive studies available to assess its complete impact. However, there are available data that demonstrate the progress made in delivering social security to India’s unorganized workers:
According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, as of December 2020, approximately 4.9 crore unorganized laborers had been registered under various social security schemes. This indicates that the registration procedure was successful in identifying a significant number of previously excluded from social security schemes unorganized workers.
The central government has established a number of welfare funds, including the National Social Security Fund, which has a corpus of one billion rupees. These funds are intended to provide emergency financial assistance to unorganized employees.
Health and maternity benefits: The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) provides cashless health insurance coverage of up to Rs. 30,000 per year to unorganized employees and their families. Similarly, expectant women from the unorganized sector are eligible for financial assistance for maternal and newborn care under the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY).
Protection against old age: The central government has launched the Atal Pension Yojana (APY), which provides a defined pension to unorganized workers, including private sector employees. As of December 2020, the scheme had approximately 2 billion participants.
The Indra Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme was initially launched under the name National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS) on 15 August 1995 as a part of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), before being renamed on 19 November 2007. The scheme is a non-contributory pension scheme in which beneficiaries receive a monthly pension of Rs. 200/- for ages 60-79 and Rs. 500/- for ages 80 and older without making any contributions. However, the recipient must reside below the poverty line (BPL).
The National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) is part of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP). Under the scheme, the bereaved family receives the assistance of Rs. 20,000/- if the family’s primary income earner, including the female (if she is the sole breadwinner), dies due to natural or accidental causes. This benefit is available to individuals between the ages of 18 and 60.
The Janani Suraksha Yojana was introduced in 2005 by renaming the National Maternity Benefit Scheme, a component of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP). The scheme aims to provide financial assistance of Rs. 500/- for prenatal and postnatal maternity care to Below Poverty Line women aged 19 and older for their first two live births (Jerinabi & Santhi, 2012).
The government has implemented numerous initiatives and social security programs, but they do not adequately safeguard the welfare and interests of unorganized workers. The Unorganised Workers Social Security Act of 2008 became one such law, which is a major initiative by the government to integrate the underutilized unorganized employees into society by way of social security, but it is too soon to determine the complete impact of the act, the data indicate that its implementation is proceeding in the correct direction. It features ten social security programs for unorganized workers, although the Act only outlined a few of the programs’ policies; neither the government nor employers are required to abide by them. The majority of laborers are also unaware of their rights and government support programs. Sometimes people are aware of the plans but are unsure of how or where to contact them. Thus, in addition to the government, the National Social Security Board, NGOs, and all other parties involved should work together to officially recognize India as a welfare state in the real meaning of the word.
Author Bio
