Kerala hosts seminar on Gig Workers Bill to promote worker welfare and social justice

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India (ILO News): In its efforts to promote worker welfare, the Department of Labour, Government of Kerala, hosted a seminar to discuss the ‘Kerala State Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Bill 2024’ in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The event’s objective was to gather key perspectives from the constituents that would reflect recommendations for pay structures, enhance transparency, and suggest key guidelines for the sector to promote workers’ rights.

The gig economy in Kerala has experienced significant growth, particularly in the online food delivery sector. The expansion has provided flexible employment opportunities yet has also exposed myriad issues affecting both the gig workers and aggregators, the most notable being opaque payment structures and lack of transparency in algorithms. The seminar helped convene a diverse group of stakeholders that provided a platform for the Government, subject matter experts, employers’ and workers’ organizations, platform aggregators, platform workers and civil society to provide key inputs for shaping the bill. The government proposes introducing the bill during the next state assembly session.

Speaking at the event, Ms Michiko Miyamoto, Director, ILO DWT/CO-New Delhi, highlighted that the platform economy is one of the most significant manifestations of the changes induced by the digitalization of the world of work, which has opened up new markets, created new business and income opportunities. This often comes with low barriers of access for workers and cheaper and more convenient goods for consumers.

At the same time, the platform economy is also significantly transforming how work is organized and performed, with new challenges emerging in ensuring that workers on platforms have access to decent work.

Michiko Miyamoto, Director, ILO DWT/CO-New Delhi

She also emphasized the importance of coordinated action in preparation for the 113th and 114th International Labour Conference in 2025 and 2026, respectively.

In his keynote address to the audience, Kerala’s Labour Minister, Mr V Sivankutty announced plans for the construction of model rest centres in partnership with the Municipal Corporation in Thiruvananthapuram within the current year, with intentions to expand this initiative to other cities soon.

Ms Veena Madhavan, Labour Commissioner, government of Kerala concluded by saying that a draft copy of the Bill will be circulated shortly and welcomed detailed comments from key stakeholders to ensure that meaningful changes and improvements may be made to ensure the overall sustainability and fairness of platform work, while supporting efficiency and effectiveness for aggregators.

Other ILO officials who participated in the discussion included Ms Uma Rani Amara, Senior Economist, ILO HQ; Ms Mariko Ouchi, Senior Specialist for Social Protection, and Mr Karun Gopinath, National Project Coordinator, Social Protection from ILO DWT/CO-New Delhi.