Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Congress MLA Zubair Anam Mazumder wants a dedicated welfare board for the state's growing gig workforce. He moved a private member resolution in the Assam Assembly on July 24. The move targets legal protections for people working in app-based transport, food delivery, logistics, e-commerce, and home services.
Mazumder says these workers power a parallel economy. They operate without social security or clear grievance systems. The work remains controlled by algorithms. The legislator highlighted a lack of dignity, noting that some residential apartments block delivery staff from using lifts while letting pets ride. "The gig workers are not an invisible force; they are a parallel economy. They are people of flesh and blood, but we do not acknowledge them," Mazumder stated during the session.
He urged Assam to follow Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar, and Rajasthan by setting up a formal welfare framework. Labor Welfare Minister Rameswar Teli countered the proposal. He claimed gig workers count as unorganized labor and sit under federal jurisdiction. Teli noted that the Union government introduced new labor codes last year to bolster rights for this sector.
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