MEETING OF THE NATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY BOARD FOR THE UNORGANISED WORKERS - A REPORT

The Meeting Of The National Social Security Board
for the Unorganised Workers was Held On 8th February 2011 In Delhi. The Union Minister fro Labour Mallikharjuna Kharge chaired the meeting. The Action Taken Report on the last meeting’s recommendations was placed. The Director General (Labour Welfare) made a presentation on Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY). He told that by now 2.26 crores smart cards have been issued under the RSBY and the scheme was being appreciated world wide including by the Wall Street Journal, World Bank etc.

However, the trade union representatives expressed their reservations on its implementation at the ground level.

Hemalata, secretary of CITU and its representative in the board told that the RSBY continues to be applicable only to the BPL category. The Ministry of Labour has not yet been able to give the criterion for BPL categorisation.

The Planning Commission guidelines for BPL categorisation only helped in arbitrarily dividing the poor and not to benefit those who were really poor. Despite the unanimous recommendation of the National Social Security Board to extend RSBY and National Old Age Pension to all the unorganised sector workers irrespective their BPL or APL status, the government has not taken any decision to implement this.

Similarly the unanimous recommendation to apply these to the Anganwadi employees and ASHAs immediately was also not implemented. She also pointed out that while the amount of Rs 1000 crores allotted in the last budget for the national social security fund for the unorganised workers was meagre, it was sad that no scheme has been formulated till now even to spend this small amount.

Incidences of misuse of RSBY by the hospitals were also brought to the notice of the government by the trade union representatives all of whom demanded that there should be a tripartite mechanism to monitor its implementation.

The Director General (Labour Welfare) replied that the RSBY has been extended to all building and other construction workers and street vendors, both BPL and APL; the process for making it applicable to the domestic workers was in the process and the Ministry of Women and Child Development has taken initiative to make it applicable to the anganwadi employees.

He also informed that the concerned Ministries were being involved to make it applicable to the railway porters and postmen. He told that the state governments were being encouraged to expand its scope by making their own contributions.

Himachal Pradesh government has increased the amount of medical benefit to Rs 1.75 lakhs. The representative of the Kerala government informed that though as per the Planning Commission only 11 lakhs people in the state were BPL, the state government has extended the number by another 10 lakhs and was paying the total premium for them. The rest of the total 35 lakhs, who were enrolled under RSBY and given smart cards in the state pay the total premium themselves. The state government was considering extending the facility to the anganwadi employees, ASHAs etc also.

Representatives of the central trade unions expressed concern at the tardy registration of the construction workers and meagre expenditure despite huge amounts collected as cess. They demanded that there should be a mechanism for the aggrieved workers and their families where they can complain.

The Secretary, Labour informed that the government has drafted proposals for the amendment of the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Act.

Courtesy: www.citucentre.org/