Dedicated Board & New Policy For Gig Workers: Minister

Telangana Labour, Mines and Employment Minister Vivek Venkataswamy today announced that the State government would soon establish a dedicated board for gig workers and formulate a comprehensive policy for their welfare in the State.

He also said that policy would serve as a model for the entire country.

During a review meeting with officials at the Secretariat, the minister addressed various issues concerning gig workers and discussed the action plan for constituting the board and drafting the policy.

Speaking to the media later, Venkataswamy spoke about the challenges faced by gig workers and stressed the importance of securing their rights. He cited the Congress-led government's initiative in Rajasthan introducing welfare legislation for gig workers, and expressed his intention to implement a similar framework in Telangana.

"A registration system for gig workers will soon be introduced in the State. Also, during the meeting, employers and gig workers offered 66 suggestions. We will review these and take a decision soon regarding the support to be extended," Venkataswamy said.

He added that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had already interacted with gig workers, and that the proposed policy would be discussed in the Cabinet and legislation would be introduced in the Assembly.

The minister said that he was committed to ensuring a minimum wage for gig workers, and expressed hope that the new Act would positively impact the 4.5 lakh gig workers in Telangana.