Govt to issue U-WIN cards in unorganised sector from Jan-end

The Centre will start the programme of issuing smart cards to 40 crore workers in the unorganised sector in the country from January-end, Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said today.
"We are going to have a social security coverage for 40 crore workers in unorganised sector in the country. We want to give U-WIN smart cards. By January-end we will start this programme in a phased manner," Dattatreya told reporters at an event organised by BJP-backed Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS).
The U-WIN (Unorganised Worker Identification Number) card would facilitate workers to receive benefit under various government welfare schemes, the minister said.

In the first phase, government will cover construction worker, autorickshaw and rickshaw pullers, he added.
With this U-WIN smart card, government will provide Rashtriya Swasth Bima Yojana, Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana and old age pension.
Moreover, schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jan Suraksha Yojana, Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana will also be made available under the programme. The card will have a portability function.

BMS had organised a function to felicitate Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Power Minister Piyush Goyal, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Dattatreya for their efforts in passing the Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Bill, 2015.

Dattatreya said the government will bear an additional burden of about Rs 6,100 crore due to the passing on the Bonus Bill.
The amendment provides the benefits of the Act would be deemed to have come into force on April 1, 2014, instead of April 1, 2015.
It provides for enhancing the monthly bonus calculation ceiling to Rs 7,000 per month from the existing Rs 3,500. It also enhances the eligibility limit for payment of bonus from Rs 10,000 per month to Rs 21,000 per month.
Labourers and industry houses had to move the court to
resolve small disputes and this used to take a lot time. But, under the new provisions, an offence can be compounded and 75 per cent of fine collected through such settlements will go towards welfare of labourers, he said.

The new laws provide that labourers working on contract and for outsourcing agencies would also be covered under the Minimum Wages Act. Plus, industrial units employing more than 20 people will have to pay salary through cheques or fund transfer in bank accounts.
Sources said the laws also have provisions to ban strikes in public utility services for up to one year.