Ministry of Labour & Employment has issued clarifications regarding Inclusion of unorganized sector women in social security code. The Code on Social Security, 2020 also provides for the maternity benefits to women workers who are covered under the provisions of Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Act, 1948, which has also been subsumed in the Code. The ESI scheme is applicable to every establishment in which ten or more persons are employed other than a seasonal factory.
The Code on Social Security, 2020 already has provisions inter-alia for providing health and maternity benefits to women workers under unorganised sector. Section 45 and Section 109(1) of the Code on Social Security, 2020 already provides for provision regarding framing of welfare scheme(s) including health and maternity benefits for these workers. It also provides for voluntary coverage of an establishment to enable it to obtain benefits of the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Corporation.
