Lets Break It Down: when your food arrives hot, your cab shows up in 4 minutes, or your leaky tap gets fixed before your landlord calls back, who makes it happen? Gig and platform workersthe real-time problem-solvers of the modern economy.

They don’t work in cubicles, they don’t clock in at 9, and they don’t enjoy the cushy safety nets that traditional employees do. Yet, they power India’s cities every single day, from delivery agents and ride-hailing drivers to app-based beauticians, service technicians, and freelancers.

And that’s exactly why the new labour codes treat them as special. For the first timethe law formally recognises this entire workforce and creates a dedicated social-security framework just for them.

And guess who’s paying for it? Not you, aggregator companieswhich must now contribute to a dedicated welfare fund. This pool will support insurance, health coverage, disability assistance and even old-age benefits. Essentially, a social-security shield for those who’ve been operating without one for years. A new national database will also map skills, track employment history and allow benefits to follow workers across states.

Finally, the people who keep your life running on demand get protections that treat them like the essential force they are.

New Labour Laws: Key Provisions For Gig And Platform Workers

Under the Code on Social Security, 2020the government has introduced formal definitions for “gig worker,” “platform worker,” and “aggregator.” A dedicated Social Security Fund will be created to offer welfare schemes for unorganised, gig, and platform workers.

Key features:

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  Aggregators must contribute 1–2% of annual turnovercapped at 5% of payments to gig workers.

  
  


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  Benefits include health, maternity, life, disability, accident insuranceand old-age protection.

  
  


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  Platforms must register workers on a government Aadhaar-linked portal for benefit portability.

  
  


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  The Code on Wages, 2019 ensures a statutory minimum wage for gig workers.

  
  


• The OSHWC Code governs occupational safety and working conditions.

New Labour Laws: Important Limitations And Considerations

• Not “Employees,” Not Yet: Gig workers are still not classified as employees under the new codes, which means they do not receive full employer-employee rights,only welfare-based protections.


• Benefits Still Waiting for a Green Light: Many of the welfare schemes outlined in the codes require additional notifications from the Centre and individual states before they can actually take effect.


• One Nation, Multiple Rulebooks: Several states have already enacted their own gig-worker laws, creating parallel frameworks that may overlap,or even conflict,with the central codes.