Ministers to meet Congress top brass for approval of Gig Workers’ Bill

Bengaluru: After several months of a standoff due to reported disagreements within the ruling Congress party, the much-debated Gig Workers Bill will be discussed on Thursday and possibly approved by the Congress top brass. 

IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge, Labour Minister Santosh Lad and Industries Minister Patil are set to discuss the legislation with AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi. 

The Bill, which seeks to levy a cess on aggregators like Swiggy, Zomato, Ola, Uber, etc, and form a welfare fund for gig workers, was a promise Congress had made in its manifesto for both the 2023 assembly, and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. 

While Lad has been a vocal proponent of the bill, Priyank and Patil reportedly have their reservations on the impact it can have on business. 

Patil told DH that although the government was keen on the bill, it wanted to ensure it resulted in a ‘win-win’ situation for both the gig workers and the aggregators. 

“We will look into the needs of both. We want to help the gig workers troubled by hardships but also ensure the aggregators, who operate with small margins, are not affected. We will try to work out an amicable solution,” he added.

Pointing out that Centre’s labour codes also allowed levying a cess on aggregators, Priyank told DH the Congress wanted to be careful to avoid a “double jeopardy.” 

The IT/BT Minister said that the government is keen on striking a balance between ensuring the welfare of the gig workers while also ensuring businesses are not inconvenienced. 

The first draft of the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill was introduced in July 2024. Since then, the Labour Department has reportedly held around 30 meetings with aggregators and amended the draft. 

While the Joint Committee of Trade Unions (JCTU) has welcomed the Bill in principle, it has been pushing for more pro-labour aspects and early implementation of the Bill. However, aggregators have expressed their reservations.

Though the Bill was widely expected to be tabled in the Winter Session of the Legislature in Belagavi in December, differences within the Cabinet on some aspects of the bill prevented it from being introduced.