IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao on Tuesday called for a tripartite arrangement to protect gig workers and nurture the gig economy, citing a unique Telangana model that can be used as a case study and followed by the rest of the country.
Speaking in Hyderabad after virtually launching Flipkart’s sixth and largest Fulfillment Centre at Sangareddy, the Minister stated that as the journey in the e-commerce business progressed, gig workers should also be taken care of.
“We should ensure that they feel secure, and their livelihoods, families are protected. It’s our duty to see to it that they are not affected by factors extraneous and beyond their control. We should build credibility, and aspiration among youngsters to work in the e-commerce sector,” he said, calling for the development of a unique model that would serve as a statement from Telangana, with the participation of e-commerce behemoths like Flipkart, which he said has created 40,000 jobs in Telangana.
E-commerce is being redefined. People are talking about how there was work from home and now about the gig economy, gig jobs, and how e-commerce is creating newer opportunities and newer jobs, he said, adding that Telangana should make a statement to the country that even gig workers would be taken care of.
To protect the livelihoods of gig workers, a tripartite arrangement between the government, e-commerce companies, and marketing vendors and partners should be implemented. Flipkart, as the market leader in India, should lead from the front, he says.
“Let’s create a unique model and ensure that the rest of India follows,” he said, adding that there was earlier a saying that ‘what Bengal does today, India does tomorrow’. “It has changed now. What Telangana does today, India does tomorrow,” he said, adding that the model should be a statement to the rest of the developing world as well and one that would serve as a case study.
The Minister called for a model for creating a workforce that was easily employable, which would benefit not only e-commerce giants but also the Retail Association of India, emphasizing that Telangana’s centricity made it an interesting option for being a logistics hub and various other activities to disseminate goods and services to eight States.
Involving government agencies such as the Telangana Academy of Skills and Knowledge in the creation of a readily available workforce with the necessary skill set would be beneficial to both the industry and the state. Companies can avoid training employees again for three to six months after hiring this way, he stated.
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Explaining that there was a strong women SHG network in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, which was part of the Society for the Elimination of Rural Poverty and MEPMA in urban areas, the Minister asked Flipkart to look into the possibility of setting up a 100 percent women run Fulfillment Centre in Telangana, at least during the day shift.
The Telangana government can allow e-commerce giants to collaborate with SERP and MEPMA to create a win-win situation for creating more jobs for women, particularly those from rural areas, he said.
The Minister, emphasizing quality and compliance, stated that while the Telangana government wants the industry to expand and create newer livelihood opportunities, it will not compromise workers’ rights or encourage any form of exploitation.
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