Government to Issue Smart Cards for Workers in the Unorganized Sector Soon

The government is planning to issue UWIN smart-cards to the unorganized sector workers for their social security.

By Surabhi Katyal

May 29, 2015

In an effort to provide social security to the unorganized workers of the country, the government is planning to issue smart cards that will enable them to avail multiple benefits related to health, insurance, banking and pension.

Photo for representational purpose only. Courtesy: mlpc.in

The card will be called Unorganized Workers’ Identification Number or UWIN card. This move is being done under the Unorganized Workers Social Security Act and will be distributed by the District Collectors. It was also done to meet the demand of 12 central trade unions since unorganized workers constitute about 90 % of the workforce of the country.

Union Minister of State for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya told The Hindu that to benefit 39 crore workers in the unorganized sector and extend them EPF and ESIC and social security, UWIN card will be introduced soon and that all employers would be given a labor identity number (LIN) and the employees universal account number (UAN) to credit EPF regularly and inform the same to the employees via SMS.

Employers and employees will have to register themselves on Shrama Suvidha Portal, an initiative of the current government under its Shramayeva Jayate Yojana. 8.3 lakh units and 4.3 crore employees have come under the portal already.

Labor secretary Gauri Kumar told the Economic Times that each state will now prepare a roll-out plan to generate awareness and issue smart cards, which will be seeded with Aadhaar, bank account and provide primary, preventive and even secondary health services to unorganized workers, besides life insurance and pension which will be converged on this single card.

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