Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh Introduces Private Member's Bill Seeking Rights & Social Security For Gig Workers In Maharashtra
· Free Press Journal
Mumbai: In a move aimed at addressing the growing concerns of gig and platform workers over fair wages, social security and protection from what has been termed as 'exploitative practices', Samajwadi Party legislator Rais Shaikh has submitted a private member’s bill in the Maharashtra legislature seeking a comprehensive legal framework and the creation of a regulatory board for their welfare.
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About The Proposed Legislation
The proposed legislation, titled “Maharashtra Gig and Platform Workers’ Rights and Protection Bill, 2026,” aims to introduce strict compliance obligations for platform companies, ensure social security coverage and establish a regulatory board to oversee the welfare of gig and platform workers in the state.
Shaikh said the bill seeks to regulate the rapidly expanding gig economy, which includes delivery partners, ride-hailing drivers and other digital platform workers who often work without job security or social protection.
Urban Company Gig Workers Earn Up To 60% More Than Entry-Level IT Professionals, Average ₹28,322 Monthly“In recent years, gig and platform workers in Maharashtra, including delivery partners and ride-hailing drivers, have staged multiple strikes and protests demanding fair wages, social security and protection from exploitative practices. These demonstrations highlighted issues such as unsafe working conditions, lack of social security, algorithmic exploitation and arbitrary penalties by platforms,” said Shaikh.
Shaikh further pointed out that existing labour laws do not sufficiently address the challenges faced by gig workers.
“Existing labour laws, including the Code on Social Security, 2020, provide a national framework but do not adequately address state-level enforcement, wage protection, algorithmic transparency and grievance redressal. Therefore, a comprehensive framework is required at the state level to protect gig and platform workers in Maharashtra,” he said.
Gig And Platform Workers Protest Across India Demanding Legal Rights, Social Security, And Fair WagesAccording to official figures, as of January 2026 the Centre’s e-Shram portal has registered just over 10.5 lakh platform workers across the country. Maharashtra leads with 1,34,705 registered platform workers, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 1,30,505 and Bihar with 1,09,207.
"However, these figures are strikingly low compared to the actual size of the gig workforce, showing that despite Maharashtra’s leadership in registrations, coverage remains limited and far below the true scale of gig employment,” Shaikh added.
A 2022 NITI Aayog report estimated India’s gig workforce at 77 lakh in 2020–21, projecting it to grow to 2.35 crore by 2029–30. "The bill aims to create a fairer and safer digital work environment for Maharashtra’s gig workforce, while remaining harmonised with the national Social Security Code,” Shaikh said.
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