Paper: GS – I/II, Subject: Society and Social Justice, Topic: Social Sector Human Resources, Issue: Gig workers Social Security.
Context:
The 2025 Union Budget acknowledged gig and platform workers and extended social protection schemes to them.
However, the revised Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025 failed to make significant changes to effectively capture the diverse nature of gig and platform work.
Key Takeaways:
| About gig workers: Code on Social Security 2020: Defines a gig worker as “a person who performs work or participates in a work arrangement and earns from such activities outside of traditional employer-employee relationship. In this firms hire workers on a part-time flexible basis rather than as full-time employees. They can be broadly classified into platform and non-platform-based workers. Platform workers are individuals whose work is based on online software apps or digital platforms. For example, drivers for cab-hailing services like Uber or Ola, delivery workers of Zomato or Swiggy. While non-platform gig workers are generally casual wage workers and own-account workers in the conventional sectors, working part-time or full time. For example, home-based workers (such as handicrafts, tailoring, etc.) and domestic workers (maids, cooks, etc.) |
How the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Falls Short:
- The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has acknowledged that the PLFS does not specifically identify individuals engaged in the gig economy.
- While the survey includes all market activities performed for pay or profit, it fails to capture the unique characteristics of digital labour, such as:
- Multiple job roles: Gig workers often engage in multiple jobs across different platforms.
- Dependence on algorithms: Gig work is heavily influenced by platform algorithms.
- Lack of formal contracts: Gig workers typically lack formal employment contracts.
- Absence of safety metrics: Safety standards and protections are often lacking in gig work.
- The PLFS question on job contracts offers an option for ‘no written job contract’, but it does not capture the hybrid nature of gig work.
- Unlike traditional self-employment, gig work is shaped by platform algorithms, performed across multiple apps, and is mostly task-based rather than time-bound.
- Workers have no stable contracts and often rely on digital reach.
Challenges and Measures in Classifying Gig Workers in PLFS:
Recognition without Representation:
- Recent policy efforts like the e-Shram registration, the issuance of digital ID cards, and health coverage under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana indicate the state’s recognition of the gig and platform workforce.
- However, unless statistical systems like the PLFS evolve, the data meant to support and monitor these interventions cannot be considered inclusive.
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