43% employees in unorganised sector, efforts on to give PF, insurance: Govt

As many as 43 per cent of the country's employees are in the unorganised sector and efforts are on to provide them EPF, ESIC and other benefits, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.

Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said there are around 43 per cent of the total employees in the country are in the unorganised sector and 47 million of them were in the construction sector.

He said steps have been taken to enhance the minimum wages of labourers and efforts are on to provide the benefits of Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) to them.

Dattatreya said an MoU has been signed between ESIC and Directorate General Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes on July 11 to collaborate in the field of occupational health and reduce the occurrence of work-related injuries and diseases.

"The ministry of labour and employment is committed for the social security of the labour force in the country," he said during Question Hour.

The major steps taken by the ministry in this regard include increased maternity benefits, special schemes to enrol left out employees including contractual, casual and temporary workers among others, the minister said.