Under the provisions of the existing draft Code on Social Security, unorganised sector workers may have to wait “another century to get all the social security benefits”, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) said on Wednesday.
The Code on Social Security Bill, 2019, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha in the recently-concluded Winter Session of Parliament, should be referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee for scrutiny, a statement by the BMS said.
Thresholds remain
The workers’ organisation, while saying it welcomed many of its suggestions being incorporated into the latest draft of the law, said its primary concern remained the “lack of universal character” as the thresholds for applicability of Provident Fund, Employees’ State Insurance (ESI), gratuity, maternity benefits etc., had not been scrapped.
“The last worker in the country, especially in the unorganised sector, will have to wait, probably for another century, to get all the social security benefits,” the BMS said, adding that the government should ensure that the employer’s contribution to Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) will be 12% and not 10%.
“Otherwise, workers will be losing a huge amount in the long run,” it said.
‘Pro-worker’
The BMS, however, welcomed the “pro-worker provisions” being added to the draft, including the Central government being empowered to extend ESI facilities to hazardous occupations even if only one employee is engaged, the expansion of EPF, EPS (Employees’ Pension Scheme), and EDLI (Employees Deposit Linked Insurance) coverage to all establishments with 20 or more employees, and compulsory registration of all establishments in order to formalise the informal sector.
