New Delhi
The Centre has proposed draft rules to operationalise the four labour codes, extending crucial social security and welfare protections to gig and platform workers. Under the draft, workers will qualify for benefits if they have completed at least 90 working days with a single aggregator or 120 days across multiple platforms in the previous financial year. The move aims to bring clarity and predictability to social protection eligibility for millions of app-based workers.
The labour codes — covering wages, industrial relations, social security and occupational safety — formally define gig and platform work, create a Social Security Fund, and promise benefits such as minimum wages, health cover, life and disability insurance, and maternity support. For those engaged with multiple aggregators, working days will be added cumulatively, and work done for more than one aggregator in a single day will count separately.
Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reiterated the government’s target of expanding social security coverage to 100 crore workers by March 2026. As labour falls under the concurrent list, states must now draft and notify their own rules following the Centre’s framework. Stakeholder feedback has been invited within a stipulated period, marking a key step toward nationwide implementation from April 2026.
