'Small cess on online orders will go for gig workers' aid'

Santosh Lad, Labour Minister of Karnataka is a keen sports-lover. Agility is his hallmark. He walks fast, leaning ahead a bit, like a runner. One known for disposing off files quickly, he has deep insight into issues the labour force faces.

He spoke to Rana Siddiqui Zaman of News Trail on a wide-range of topics under his realm. Excerpts:

The BBMP Pourkarmikas have been demanding permanent employee status for years. Will you finally respond to their demands and that of sanitation workers? What do you make of the contractual employees becoming the norm?

During my previous tenure as Labour Minister, we introduced the direct transfer of salaries of pourakarmikas into their accounts. Karnataka was the second among the states to do this.

And they are the highest paid safai workers in the country. I knew their pain and struggle as I cut my teeth in the mining industry as a stone-crusher.

Whatever be the fortunes of the Lad families of Ballari, we owe it to the workers with whom we grew. This story has remained untold. I am the one who would look into the grievances of the workers first and bring in reforms.

Pourakar mikas are permanent employees of the BBMP. Whenever they come up with their issues, we will address them with utmost priority.

Will you now allow labour union in IT sector?

I think we should. The IT sector has seen phenomenal growth and has also received phenomenal support, be it in matters of taxation benefits, land for infrastructure etc.

But I personally feel that Governments at all levels should now focus on those working in the small scale industries. These need to be offered subsidies. They need to be offered facilities such as ESI, PF etc. I feel that social security of the job is very important. In IT sector, there is no job security.

There are plenty of IITians now. They can be removed from the job by just an email and replaced by another. As a Labour Minister I would like to raise my voice against that.

Trade Unions are powerful and often also misuse the labourers. They get perks which don’t reach the very laborers they are defending. How do you think you can reach the last man in the row of these labourers in the trade unions?

I agree some of the trade union leaders do misuse their powers. In Karnataka, trade unions have been extremely responsible and effective. They have been doing their job with utmost care.

Some of them have honed their skills in spreading legal awareness among the labourers. I appreciate their work.

Any welfare schemes for women?

They face problems in both organised and unorganized sector... Most schemes we introduced favour women, the BPL card, Griha Lakshmi scheme, people’s card etc.

I wish we become like Bhutan, where all property is also in the name of women (laughs). But Asha Workers need to be taken care of. They do most work.

They are phenomenal; they penetrate spaces where we don’t. But 90% of trade unions are least effective in unorganized sector.

 Any labour laws for migrant workers?

There can be no separate laws for migrant workers. Wherever they go, law of the land will apply. We must ensure respect for human dignity and an adequate standard of living for them.

The gig economy has witnessed a significant surge in Karnataka, with approximately 300,000 gig workers estimated to be operating within the state. What about a welfare board for them?

We are the second state in the country after Rajasthan to provide social security for gig workers. We have set aside finances as seed money for gig workers' social security schemes which will be released soon.

Their health is of prime concern as they are exposed to harsh health conditions. They inhale maximum C02 being on the road. If this condition remains for 20 more years, it would be detrimental to their health.

We have made a representation to the state. We will be imposing a small cess on all online orders that will help support the welfare of gig workers. We are also imposing transport cess that will help 30 to 40 lakh workers in the transport sector.

Also, a 1% cess on cinema tickets will be collected towards the welfare scheme. We approximately sell about 4.5 cr. cinema tickets per annum and have around 20 to 25 thousand people in the industry. So, this will greatly help cine workers.

Such welfare schemes will provide social security benefits such as health, education, and insurance to the informal and gig workers.

What are the issues you face as a politician/ minister?

As politicians and minister we can’t speak our minds anymore. There is