Centre proposes guaranteed 90-day work yearly for gig workers:Introduces norms to ensure social security benefits for unorganised workers

Gig and platform workers are one step closer to receiving social security benefits, thanks to newly proposed draft rules from the Union labour ministry. These rules state how long a worker needs to be engaged with a company to become eligible for availing of the Central Government’s social security benefits. Eligibility criterion: To be eligible for social security benefits, gig workers must meet specify engagement criteria, which are as follows: The government’s documents define “workday” as any calendar day the worker earns income, regardless of the amount earned. This means even if he earns a small amount on a given day, and for a certain period, then, he would become eligible for the services. Registration and Digital IDs: The draft rules also emphasize the importance of registration. Registration process: Keeping Information Up-to-Date: Registered workers will also be responsible for keeping updated KYC information on the portal. This includes details such as address, occupation, mobile number, and skills. Failure to update this information could result in the worker becoming ineligible for social security schemes. Timing and Context: The government had released the draft rules one day before ( 30 December, 2025), the planned strike by over 1 lakh gig and platform workers of aggregators like Zomato, Swiggy, etc on 31 December, 2025