Opposition MPs have raised concern over the lack of job and social security for the ballooning population of gig workers and asked the government to clarify its stand.

Minister of state for labour Rameswar Teli on Thursday evaded a direct reply and cited the yet-to-be-implemented Social Security Code, which provides for social protection, without specifying any formula for the creation of the proposed social security funds.

Trinamul Cong ress’s Jawhar Sircar, Congress’s Phulo Devi Netam and CPM’s Elamaram Kareem raised questions about the security of gig workers.

Food and household goods delivery companies like Swiggy, Zomato and Amazon and service-providing firms like Urban Company and Uber offer their platforms to people to work.

The workers do not get the status of employees of the company and their remuneration is linked to the number of assignments or deliveries they complete.

There is no paid leave or provident fund or pension for gig workers. Some of the companies have started medical and accidental insurance.

The Niti Aayog in its report on “India’s Booming Gig and Platform Economy” last year had estimated that the gig or platform workforce was expected to expand to 23.5 million by 2029-30 from 7.7 million in 2020-21.

“Whether the government will implement the recommendations of the Niti Aayog’s recent report titled ‘India’s Booming Gig and Platform Economy: Perspectives and Recommendations on Future of Work’ which favours gig employment over job security,” Sircar asked in a written question.

In his reply, Teli said the Code on Social Security had a provision to set up a Social Security Fund for the welfare of gig workers and platform workers.

“Findings of NITI Aayog on gig and platform workers and their welfare measures have, inter-alia, been provided in the Code on Social Security, 2020, and provides for framing of suitable social security schemes for them on matters relating to life and disability cover, accident insurance, health and maternity benefits, old age protection, etc,” Teli said.

However, the law is yet to come into force and its rules are not finalised. The formula for contribution for social security funds has not been spelt out.

“The government does not care for gig workers at all. I asked about the recommendations of the Niti Aayog to move from permanent workers to insecure piece-rate gig workers. But the minister referred to a theoretical social security code which has not been implemented in the last three years,” Sircar told The Telegraph.

The Congress’s Netam asked whether the government would frame any regulations for the gig economy and Kareem wanted to know what social security measures were being considered for them. The answers were similar to the one given to Sircar.