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Central Act No.33/2008
UNORGANISED WORKERS' SOCIAL SECURITY ACT, 2008
(Received the Assent of the President on December 30, 2008 — Published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 1,Iss. No.42, pages 1-8, dated December 31, 2008).
An Act to provide for the social security and welfare of unorganised workers and for other matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
Be it enacted by Parliament in the Fifty-ninth Year of the Republic of India as follows:—
CHAPTER I
PRELIMINARY
1. Short title, extent and commencement.— (1) This Act may be called the Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act, 2008.
(2) It extends to the whole of India.
(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) "employer" means a person or an association of persons, who has engaged or employed an unorganised worker either directly or otherwise for remuneration;
(b) "home-based worker" means a person engaged in the production of goods or services for an employer in his or her home or other premises of his or her choice other than the workplace of the employer, for remuneration, irrespective of whether or not the employer provides the equipment, materials or other inputs;
(c) "identity card" means a card, document or certificate issued to an unorganised worker by the District Administration under sub-section (3) of Section 10;
(d) "National Board" means the National Social Security Board for unorganised workers constituted under sub-section (1) of Section 5;
(e) "notification " means a notification published in the Official Gazette;
(f) "organised sector" means an enterprise which is not an unorganised sector;
(g) "prescribed" means prescribed by Rules made under this Act by the Central Government or the State Government, as the case may be;
(h) "registered worker" means an unorganised worker registered under sub-section (3) of Section 10;
(i) "Schedule" means the Schedule annexed to the Act;
(j) "State Board" means the (name of the State) State Social Security Board for unorganised workers constituted under sub-section (1) of Section 6;
(k) "self-employed worker" means any person who is not employed by an employer, but engages himself or herself in any occupation in the unorganised sector subject to a monthly earning of an amount as may be notified by the Central Government or the State Government from time to time or holds cultivable land subject to such ceiling as may be notified by the State Government;
(l) "unorganised sector" means an enterprise owned by individuals or self-employed workers and engaged in the production or sale of goods or providing service of any kind whatsoever, and where the enterprise employs workers, the number of such workers is less than
ten;
(m) "unorganised worker" means a home-based worker, self-employed worker or a wage worker in the unorganised sector and includes a worker in the organised sector who is not covered by any of the Acts mentioned in Schedule II to this Act; and
(n) "wage worker" means a person employed for remuneration in the unorganised sector, directly by an employer or through any contractor, irrespective of place of work, whether exclusively for one employer or for one or more employers, whether in cash or in kind, whether as a home-based worker, or as a temporary or casual worker, or as a migrant worker, or workers employed by households including domestic workers, with a monthly wage of an amount as may be notified by the Central Government and State Government, as the case may be.
CHAPTER II
SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS
3.Framing of scheme.— (1) The Central Government shall formulate and notify, from time to time, suitable welfare schemes for unorganised workers on matters relating to —
(a) life and disability cover; (b) health and maternity benefits; (c) old age protection; and
(d) any other benefit as may be determined by the Central Government.
(2) The schemes included in the Schedule 1 to this Act shall be deemed to be the welfare schemes under sub-section (1).
(3) The Central Government may, by notification, amend the Schedules annexed to this Act.
(4) The State Government may formulate and notify, from time to time, suitable welfare schemes for unorganised workers, including schemes relating to —
(a) provident fund; (b) employment injury benefit; (c) housing; (d) educational schemes for children; (e) skill upgradation of workers; (f) funeral assistance; and
(g) old age homes.
4. Funding of Central Government Schemes.— (1) Any scheme notified by the Central Government may be—
(i) wholly funded by the Central Government; or
(ii) partly funded by the Central Government and partly funded by the State Government; or
(iii) partly funded by the Central Government, partly funded by the State Government and partly funded through contributions collected from the beneficiaries of the scheme or the employers as may be prescribed in the scheme by the Central Government.
(2) Every scheme notified by the Central Government shall provide for such matters that are necessary for the efficient implementation of the scheme including the matters relating to, —
(i) scope of the scheme; (ii) beneficiaries of the scheme; (iii) resources of the scheme;
(iv) agency or agencies that will implement the scheme; (v) redressal of grievances; and
(vi) any other relevant matter.
CHAPTER III
NATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY BOARD FOR UNORGANISED WORKERS
5.National Social Security Board.— (1) The Central Government shall, by notification, constitute a National Board to be known as the National Social Security Board to exercise the powers conferred on, and to perform the functions assigned to, it under this Act.
(2) The National Board shall consist of the following members, namely: —
(a) Union Minister for Labour and Employment — Chairperson, ex officio;
(b) the Director General (Labour Welfare) — Member-Secretary, ex officio; and
(c) thirty-four members to be nominated by the Central Government, out of whom—
(i) seven representing unorganised sector workers;
(ii) seven representing employers of unorganised sector;
(iii) seven representing eminent persons from civil society;
(iv) two representing members from Lok Sabha and one from Rajya Sabha;
(v) five representing Central Government Ministries and Departments concerned; and
(vi) five representing State Governments.
(3) The Chairperson and other members of the Board shall be from amongst persons of eminence in the fields of labour welfare, management, finance, law and administration.
(4) The number of persons to be nominated as members from each of the categories specified in clause (c) of sub-section (2), the term of office and other conditions of service of members, the procedure to be followed in the discharge of their functions by, and the manner of filling vacancies among the members of, the National Board shall be such as may be prescribed:
Provided that adequate representation shall be given to persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, the Minorities and Women.
(5) The term of the National Board shall be three years.
(6) The National Board shall meet at least thrice a year, at such time and place and shall observe such Rules of procedure relating to the transaction of business at its meetings, as may be prescribed.
(7) The members may receive such allowances as may be prescribed for attending the meetings of the National Board.
(8) The National Board shall perform the following functions, namely:—
(a) recommend to the Central Government suitable schemes for different Sections of unorganised workers;
(b) advise the Central Government on such matters arising out of the administration of this Act as may be referred to it;
(c) monitor such social welfare schemes for unorganised workers as are administered by the Central Government;
(d) review the progress of registration and issue of identity cards to the unorganised workers;
(e) review the record keeping functions performed at the State level;
(f) review the expenditure from the funds under various schemes; and
(g) undertake such other functions as are assigned to it by the Central Government from time to time.
CHAPTER IV
STATE SOCIAL SECURITY BOARD FOR UNORGANISED WORKERS
6. State Social Security Board.— (1)Every State Government shall, by notification, constitute a State Board to be known as (name of the State) State Social Security Board to exercise the powers conferred on, and to perform the functions assigned to it, under this Act.
(2) The State Board shall consist of the following members, namely: —
(a) Minister of Labour and Employment of the concerned State — Chairperson, ex officio;
(b) the Principal Secretary or Secretary (Labour) — Member-Secretary, ex officio; and
(c) twenty-eight members to be nominated by the State Government, out of whom—
(i) seven representing the unorganised workers;
(ii) seven representing employers of unorganised workers;
(iii) two representing members of Legislative Assembly of the concerned State;
(iv) five representing eminent persons from civil society; and
(v) seven representing State Government Departments concerned.
(3) The Chairperson and other members of the Board shall be from amongst persons of eminence in the fields of labour welfare, management, finance, law and administration.
(4) The number of persons to be nominated as members from each of the categories specified in clause (c) of sub-section (2), the term of office and other conditions of service of members, the procedure to be followed in the discharge of their functions by, and the manner of filling vacancies among the members of, the State Board shall be such as may be prescribed:
Provided that adequate representation shall be given to persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, the Minorities and Women.
(5) The term of the State Board shall be three years.
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