Parliament Question: Social security measures for workers

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 294 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.03.2026 SOCIAL SECURITY MEASURES FOR WORKERS 294. SMT. GEETA ALIAS CHANDRAPRABHA: Will the Minister of Labour and Employment be pleased to state: (a) whether Government has reviewed the impact of increasing the threshold for layoffs without prior Government approval from 100 to 300 workers; (b) whether concerns regarding the definition of wages, inclusion criteria and coverage of workers in small establishments under the new Labour Codes have been examined; (c) the details of steps taken to ensure that gig and platform workers are effectively included, under the Code on Social Security; and (d) whether monitoring mechanisms or review processes have been instituted to evaluate the implementation of labour protections and social security measures for all categories of workers? ANSWER MINISTER OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (DR. MANSUKH MANDAVIYA) (a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House. * *****STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (d) OF RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 294 FOR 19.03.2026 RAISED BY SMT. GEETA ALIAS CHANDRAPRABHA REGARDING “SOCIAL SECURITY MEASURES FOR WORKERS”. (a): Under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, establishments with 300 or more workers are required to obtain prior permission of the appropriate Government for lay-off, retrenchment or closure. However, statutory safeguards in the form of mandatory notice period, retrenchment compensation and provision for retrenched workers to be given preference in re-employment are applicable for all retrenched workers irrespective of threshold. The Code also introduces Workers Re-skilling fund for retrenched workers for the first time with a view to providing financial support to help workers transition to new employment. (b): The definition of wages is uniform across all the four Codes. The term ‘wages’ has been clearly defined under Section 2(y) of the Code on Wages, which specifies the components to be included, as well as those to be excluded, while determining ‘statutory wage’ for the purpose of the Code on Wages, 2019 (Payment of Wages, Overtime, etc.). The above Section also contains a provision to ensure that the exclusions do not exceed the prescribed limit, thereby enabling the correct determination of statutory wages for the purpose of the Code on Wages. (c): For the first time, the definition of ‘gig workers’ and ‘platform workers’ and provisions related to the same have been provided in the Code on Social Security (CoSS), 2020 which has come into force on 21.11.2025. The CoSS has provisions for constitution of National Social Security Board for welfare of unorganised workers, gig workers and platform workers. Detailed composition of National Social Security Board for unorganised workers, gig and platform workers has been provided in the CoSS alongwith functions and mandate. The CoSS also have provisions to establish a Social Security Fund for financing of Social Security and welfare schemes for gig and platform workers.(d): ‘Labour’ being a subject under the Concurrent List is enforced and monitored by both the Central Government and the State Governments within their respective jurisdictions. In the Central sphere, enforcement and monitoring is carried out by inspecting officers of the Central Industrial Relations Machinery (CIRM), while in the State sphere, compliance is ensured through the State Labour Enforcement Machinery. *****