Smart Card to be issued for Unorganised Workers | Fusion - WeRIndia

Government proposes to issue a smart card under the Unorganised Workers Social Security Act, 2008 to all the workers of unorganised sector soon. This smart card will have a unique identification number and is helpful in getting social schemes and benefits.

The Gujarat Chief Minister introduced such a card, U-WIN on December 25 in which the Prime Minister joined through videoconferencing. A senior official in the Ministry of Labour and Employment stated that the launching of smart card in Gujarat was a pilot project and it will be launched in all the states before the end of the financial year.

In order to ensure that all workers get their health insurance, pension and disability assistance, the new proposal came into light. The proposed card enables workers to self-certify that they are getting these benefits.

According to the Unorganised Sector Report, 2005, approximately 87 percent of the working population in India are in the unorganised sector. Among them 79 percent are living on less than Rs.20 a day.

Gujarat government announced certain benefits like education assistance, accident group insurance, maternity benefits and funeral benefits under 20 schemes for these workers.

The Unorganised Workers Social Security Act, 2008 recommended that the unorganised workers must have social security schemes. The issuance of a smart card with unique identification number to these workers is considered a good step. However, one of the members of NCEUS states that employment security of formal employment is being reducedin the country.

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