Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah meets Rahul Gandhi in Delhi, decides to form Welfare Board for gig workers

New Delhi [India], April 3 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday met Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi at his Delhi residence to discuss the implementation of the Gig Workers' Welfare Act, as promised during the Bharat Jodo Yatra and elections.
The meeting was also attended by Ministers Santosh Lad, Priyank Kharge, and M B Patil.
Key decisions from the meeting include decisions on the Gig Workers' Welfare Board, Funding Mechanism and Legislation.
The Karnataka government has decided to establish a Gig Workers' Welfare Board to ensure the well-being of workers employed by companies like Amazon, Flipkart, Ola, Uber, and others.
A five per cent cess will be collected from concerned companies, while the remaining required funds will be provided by the state government to support welfare schemes for gig workers.
A comprehensive bill covering all aspects of gig workers' welfare will be prepared and presented before the state cabinet for approval.
Three gig worker representatives, Rakshitha Dev (Karnataka), Salahuddin (Hyderabad), and Nikhil Dev, were also invited to the meeting. They appreciated the government's initiative and expressed hope for better working conditions.
Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier advocated for gig workers' rights during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, welcomed the eight-point proposal prepared by the Labour Department. He emphasized the need for swift implementation to safeguard gig workers' interests.
The Karnataka Labour Department has already introduced three key bills--covering workers' gratuity, cinema workers' rights, and now, gig workers' welfare. The unorganised workers' sector has lauded the government's efforts and extended full support for this progressive move. (ANI)