Gig workers’ welfare board: RSS-linked bodies get six of 14 seats

The Centre has drawn criticism over the composition of the newly constituted National Social Security Board (NSSB), with organisations affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) securing a significant share of seats reserved for workers and employers, while several major trade unions have been excluded.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment notified the formation of the 40-member board on Friday. Established under the Code on Social Security, the body is responsible for formulating, monitoring and recommending welfare measures to improve social security coverage for unorganised, gig and platform workers.

The board, whose members have been nominated for a three-year term, includes seven representatives each from workers' and employers' organisations, alongside members from government departments and Parliament.

According to a report by The Indian Express, six of the 14 seats allocated to worker and employer representatives have gone to two RSS-linked organisations: the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and Laghu Udyog Bharati (LUB). The BMS has secured three seats in the workers' category, while LUB occupies three employer representatives' positions.

The representation has left several recognised trade unions outside the board. Neither the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) nor the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) has been included. The report also noted that the four state representatives are from BJP-governed Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and West Bengal.