New Labour Codes Extend Coverage to Gig Workers with 90-Day Engagement Norm

New Delhi: The Ministry of Labour and Employment has released the draft rules for the four labour codes, bringing gig and platform workers within the ambit of key employment benefits, including minimum wages, health and occupational safety standards, and social security coverage.

The government has invited comments and suggestions from stakeholders on the draft rules and plans to implement the complete set of four labour codes nationwide from April 1.

As per the draft norms, a gig or platform worker must be associated with an aggregator for at least 90 days in a financial year to become eligible for social security benefits created by the Centre. For workers engaged with more than one aggregator, the minimum qualifying period has been set at 120 days.

The notification, dated December 30, 2025, was issued a day before gig and platform workers staged a flash strike demanding higher wages and improved working conditions.

The draft rules clarify that a worker will be treated as “engaged” on any calendar day if they earn income from work performed for an aggregator, irrespective of the amount earned. In cases where a worker is associated with multiple aggregators, engagement days across all platforms will be aggregated. The draft further specifies that if a worker is engaged with three aggregators on the same day, it will be counted as three separate days of engagement.

On minimum wages, the draft states that when daily wages are fixed, the amount shall be divided by eight to determine the hourly wage and multiplied by 26 to calculate the monthly wage. For establishments following a five-day workweek, the calculated hourly minimum wage will be used to derive the daily wage.

While fixing minimum wage rates, the Central government will consider factors such as geographical location, experience in the area of employment, and skill levels, categorised as unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled, and highly skilled.

The four labour codes — the Code on Wages, 2019; the Industrial Relations Code, 2020; the Code on Social Security, 2020; and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 — were notified on the same day.

Under the new framework, employers will be required to issue appointment letters to all workers, providing written proof of employment to enhance transparency, job security, and clarity in employment terms. Earlier, appointment letters were not mandatory.

The Code on Social Security, 2020, extends social security coverage to all workers, including gig and platform workers, ensuring access to benefits such as provident fund (PF), Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), insurance, and other social security measures. Previously, coverage was limited in scope.

Similarly, the Code on Wages, 2019, mandates statutory minimum wages for all workers and ensures timely payment, strengthening financial security. Earlier, minimum wage provisions were restricted mainly to scheduled employments, leaving large sections of the workforce outside their purview.

With inputs from IANS