How Can We Ensure All Construction Workers Get Registered and Receive Their Benefits?

Union Minister Calls for Special Drive to Register BOC Workers

Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, today called for a special drive to increase registration and streamline welfare benefit delivery mechanisms to ensure that all Building and Other Construction (BOC) workers receive their benefits. Addressing the National Conference on Building and Other Construction Workers, Shri Gangwar expressed concern that while there are more than 5 crore workers in the construction and building sector, only 2 crore 86 lakhs have been registered so far.

Concerns Over Unutilized Cess Fund

The Minister highlighted that the Honorable Supreme Court has raised concerns about the unutilized cess fund with the States and directed the registration of all BOC workers to fully utilize the fund for their welfare. He emphasized the need for a Model Scheme to standardize social security benefits across states, including health, pension, safety, and education, as mandated by the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, and the Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Cess Act, 1996.

Call to Action for States and Stakeholders

The Minister urged States and stakeholders to leverage the recently launched National Portal to facilitate BOC workers' registration.

Steps to Increase Registration of Building and Other Construction Workers

🔹 Awareness Campaigns: Launch comprehensive awareness campaigns to educate BOC workers about the importance of registration and the benefits they are entitled to receive.

🔹 Simplify Registration Process: Streamline the registration process by making it user-friendly, easily accessible, and available both online and offline. Ensure clear guidelines and support for workers during the registration.

🔹 Utilize National Portal: Encourage States and stakeholders to utilize the National Portal for BOC workers' registration, making it a centralized platform for easy access and management.

🔹 Standardize Social Security Benefits: Develop a Model Scheme to standardize social security benefits like health, pension, safety, and education across all states, aligning with the relevant labor laws and acts.

🔹 Collaborate with Stakeholders: Engage with stakeholders including employers, trade unions, and government bodies to collaborate on increasing registration and ensuring the welfare of BOC workers.

🔹 Regular Monitoring and Evaluation: Implement a robust monitoring and evaluation system to track registration progress, identify bottlenecks, and address any issues hindering the registration process.

🔹 Compliance with Legal Requirements: Ensure strict compliance with the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, and Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Cess Act, 1996 to safeguard the rights and benefits of BOC workers.

By following these steps and fostering collaboration among all stakeholders, the registration of Building and Other Construction Workers can be significantly increased, ensuring their welfare and entitlement to benefits.