Govt plans to provide medical treatment to gig workers at a subsidised rate

Companies belonging to the gig economy may not be pushed to contribute towards social security cover for its workers. Instead, the government is planning to provide medical treatment to gig economy workers at a subsidised rate from the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) hospitals and dispensaries across the country.

This may come as a relief to such companies as they will not be compelled to bear the social security cost of its workers.

The government had last month introduced the Social Security Code Bill, 2019, in the Lok Sabha that proposed to provide, for the first time in India, social