Telangana to Set Up Welfare Boards for Hamali and Domestic Workers: Minister Vivek Venkataswamy

Telangana Energy and Mines Minister Dr Gaddam Vivek Venkataswamy has announced that the state government is taking steps to establish separate welfare boards for hamali workers and domestic workers to protect their rights and provide social security. He also said legal measures had been taken to safeguard gig and platform workers, with the relevant rules expected to be announced soon. Speaking at a conference titled “Social Democracy, Political Leadership and Trade Unions: Rebuilding the Architecture of Social Dialogue” at Lemon Tree Hotel in Hyderabad on Friday, October 23, the minister highlighted the need to strengthen workers’ representation and address the challenges faced by those in the unorganised sector. He noted that approximately 93% of India’s workforce is employed in the unorganised sector, where workers often lack the protections and collective bargaining opportunities available to organised-sector employees. He also emphasised fair wages, social security, workplace safety and cooperation between industries and workers.

The minister said Telangana had introduced minimum wages after a decade-long gap and stressed that ease of doing business should not come at the cost of workers’ safety. Referring to the Sigachi industrial accident, in which 54 workers lost their lives, he urged factory managements to implement safety measures recommended during inspections and review inspection reports at board meetings. He also highlighted the state’s goal of becoming a $3 trillion economy by 2047, noting that Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) are being developed into Advanced Technology Centres (ATCs) to provide industry-oriented training. ITI students are being offered a monthly stipend of ₹2,000, while German-language training is being provided to young people to improve overseas employment prospects. The minister said around 70 youths in Mandamarri were receiving German-language training and that efforts were underway to connect trained candidates with jobs in Germany. MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, Minimum Wages Advisory Board Chairman Janak Prasad, former MP Khuntia, Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union president Sheikh Salauddin, and representatives of various trade unions attended the conference.