Union Minister: Chintin Shivir Offers a Collaborative Platform for Knowledge Sharing and Exchanging Best Practices Showcased by States/UTs
The two-day workshop, chaired by Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, concluded today. Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, Minister of State for the Ministry of Labour and Employment, along with Labour Ministers from various States/UTs, Ms. Sumita Dawra, Secretary of the Ministry of Labour & Employment, and senior officials from States/UTs, attended the event. The workshop marked the successful conclusion of six regional workshops and numerous consultations held over the past year with all 36 States and UTs. Over the course of five sessions, more than ten topics were discussed in depth, and inputs were gathered to develop targeted action items. Three committees, each consisting of five states, were formed to continue consultations and create a sustainable model for comprehensive social security coverage for workers, with a final presentation due in March 2025.
During his address, the Union Minister acknowledged the discussions and suggestions from the two-day workshop and outlined a detailed action plan for all stakeholders. He encouraged States to evaluate the feasibility of implementing the best practices shared by various States/UTs over the past two days. He stressed the Ministry’s commitment to working closely with State Governments to design reforms and initiatives aimed at ensuring the welfare of both organized and unorganized workers. The ongoing discussions also focused on developing comprehensive and sustainable welfare programs, including pension schemes, healthcare, life and accident insurance, and more.
The discussion extensively covered social security for workers in the unorganized sector, including those in building and construction, the gig and platform economy, and other industries. The Union Minister stressed the importance of developing sustainable social security models for these workers. Additionally, the welfare of contract laborers and the transformation of the inspector’s role to an inspector-cum-facilitator were key topics on the second day’s agenda.
States presented their progress in utilizing BOCW cess funds to provide social security coverage and develop educational and skill development institutions for the children of building and construction workers. Innovative approaches to using these resources for various social welfare programs, such as pensions, were also extensively discussed.
The progress made in registering unorganized workers on the eShram portal highlights the government’s efforts to improve the delivery of benefits to these workers. To date, over 30 crore unorganized workers have been registered on the portal. The Ministry is also working on creating a dedicated Social Security and Welfare Scheme for gig and platform workers. During discussions, the modalities for funding, data collection, and administering the scheme were explored. States were urged to prioritize sharing data on unorganized workers, especially gig and platform workers, and to support their registration on eShram in mission mode. The integration of eShram with government portals like NCS and SIDH is helping to promote employment generation, employability, and skill development.
A significant reform discussed with State/UT administrators was the shift from the traditional inspector model to an inspector-cum-facilitator model. The aim of this reform is to reduce the compliance burden, promote ease of doing business, and ensure decent working conditions, equal opportunities, and better employer-employee relationships.
In her closing remarks, Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, Hon’ble Minister of State for the Ministry of Labour and Employment, emphasized the vital contribution of India’s workforce in achieving the vision of becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047. Maximizing social security coverage and ensuring the welfare of both organized and unorganized workers were the main objectives of the consultations held throughout the past year and the two-day Chintin Shivir. She stressed the importance of a whole-of-Government approach to implement these initiatives in a timely and effective manner.
The two-day meetings reflected the government’s dedication to fostering labor welfare, promoting ease of doing business, and encouraging industrial growth across States/UTs, all within the framework of cooperative federalism.