If a gig worker or a platform worker earns any income, irrespective of the amount, for the work carried out on any calendar day, he/she will be considered to be engaged with an aggregator for one day.
The Union Labour Ministry has released draft rules for public comment, which suggest that gig workers will be eligible for social security benefits if they engage for at least 90 days with an aggregator, or at least 120 days in the case of multiple aggregators in a financial year. The notification released by the ministry came on December 30, 2025, a day before gig and platform workers went on strike on New Year’s Eve, demanding higher payouts along with better working conditions.
Who are gig workers?
Those who take on short-term, project-based, or freelance work rather than a permanent, full-time role are considered gig workers. Those working with companies like Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit and Zepto are considered gig workers.
Social security benefits for gig workers
The draft rules say that in order to qualify for social security benefits established by the Centre, gig and platform workers are required to engage for at least 90 days with an aggregator or 120 days in the case of multiple aggregators in a financial year.
As per the rules, workers are considered to be engaged if they have earned an income for the work done for an aggregator on a specific calendar day. It does not take into account the amount earned.
The document explains the following:
- If a gig worker or a platform worker earns any income, irrespective of the amount, for the work carried out on any calendar day, he/she will be considered to be engaged with an aggregator for one day.
- If a gig worker or a platform worker carries out work for multiple aggregators, the total number of engagement days will be counted cumulatively across all aggregators.
- In case the gig worker or platform worker carries out work with three aggregators on the same calendar day, the total days of engagement will be counted as three.
The rules go on to clarify that an eligible gig or platform worker includes individuals engaged by an aggregator either directly or indirectly, including through an associate company, holding company, subsidiary, limited liability partnership, or a third party.
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