In a landmark move, Karnataka has released the draft of the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill-2024. The Bill will offer significant protection to gig workers employed with food and service aggregators, as it requires the latter to register with the Karnataka Labour Department within 60 days of the implementation of the Bill. This will ensure that gig workers get fair contracts and are not laid off unfairly by the aggregators. It will also ensure that their issues and grievances are resolved in a just manner.
The Bill seeks transparency when it comes to managing the algorithms in automated monitoring and decision-making systems.
As per the Bill, aggregators are categorised as providers of services such as ride-sharing, food and grocery delivery, logistics, e-marketplaces, professional services, healthcare, travel and hospitality, as well as content and media services.
A register of aggregators will be maintained on the website of the Karnataka State Unorganised Workers Social Security Board, giving details such as the names and designations of the authorised officials of the aggregators tasked with compliance.
Any non-compliance or violation on the part of the aggregators will attract penalties to the tune of Rs 5,000 to Rs 1 lakh. Repeat violations will result in a daily fine of Rs 5,000.
The state’s labour department will establish a welfare fund for the gig workers too. The draft bill also seeks to set fair and proper working conditions in line with the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) standards, as defined by the Karnataka government.
The draft bill is available on the Karnataka State Unorganised Workers Social Security Board, and allows those concerned to raise objections, if any by 9 July.
The Bill will be tabled in the monsoon session of the state legislature.
Among other benefits, the Bill will require aggregators to officially inform platform-based gig workers of any proposed contract changes before 14 days. The registered workers will have the right to not take up a specific number of gigs per week, as stated in their formal contracts with the aggregator.
Details and reasons for allocating or not allocating tasks and deducting pay will have to be shared with the workers by the aggregators. If the Bill comes into force, the workers will be paid on time every week. It will require aggregators with more than 50 platform workers to set up an Internal Dispute Resolution Committee to handle grievances and address issues. Gig workers will have access to a web portal on the aggregator’s platform, where they can state their grievances for the state government’s grievance redressal office to handle.
