The Issue

Informal sector workers in India face numerous hurdles. They often lack knowledge of or access to social security schemes and benefits, leaving them vulnerable to economic shocks. Navigating the bureaucracy to access benefits can be challenging without proper guidance. Without formal contracts, these workers are subject to low wages, poor working conditions, and job insecurity.

Objectives

Raise Awareness and Ensure Access to Rights: Increase the individual and collective agency of informal workers to access their rights and entitlements.
Establish Worker Facilitation Centres: Provide a central point of assistance where workers can receive information and help with accessing social security schemes.
Organise Awareness Campaigns: Conduct thematic and issue-based campaigns to educate workers on their rights and various government schemes.
Organize Camps to Facilitate Access to Social and Economic Entitlements: Organize camps and provide hands-on support to help workers obtain necessary documents and apply for benefits.
Support Urban Poor Families: Assist with applications for sale deeds, land rights, housing, and follow-up.

How ActionAid Association is Providing Support

The process

• We have set up Worker Facilitation Centers in 13 districts across 7 states, providing support to over 10,000 workers. These centers offer information on social security schemes, assist with online registrations, provide legal counseling, and serve as resource hubs with educational materials. From April 2023 to March 2024, these centers have seen significant engagement, with 10,052 workers visiting and 958 calls received on the mobile helpline.
• We organized thematic campaigns on labor rights, women’s worker rights, minimum wages, and government schemes. These campaigns reached 33,605 workers across 276 project villages and 50% of the slums. Special day campaigns, such as Women’s Day and Domestic Workers’ Day, included participation from government officials, union members, and other stakeholders.
• Conducted camps in villages and slums to link workers with ration cards, Aadhaar cards, birth certificates, disability IDs, old age pensions, and various government schemes. Provided hand-holding support for application processes, document compilation, and follow-up. Assisted families in filling applications for sale deeds, land rights, and housing. Organized workers’ conclaves to discuss issues and solutions, with participation from 11,000 workers from various sectors. Launched ‘Shramik Sathi’, a support app for migrant workers to help them escape risky situations and access welfare entitlements. Reached over 2,82,000 informal workers in 2023, forming 1,479 workers groups and establishing 39 workers’ collectives. These collectives span various sectors, including agriculture, construction, bricklaying, MNREGA, sanitation, ragpickers, mining, domestic work, vendors, and daily wage labor. The total membership across these collectives stands at 10,126 workers, with women comprising 48% of the membership. ActionAid organized 13 workers’ conclaves, including events such as the Nirmaan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat in Delhi, the Haan Main Mazdoor Hun conclave in Bathinda, the MGNREGA Mazdoor Conclave in Mansa, and the Ustod Kaamgar Parishad in six districts in Maharashtra (Beed, Hingoli, Jalna, Osmanabad, and Nanded). Additionally, Women Workers Conclaves were held in Parbhani and Indore, and an MGNREGA Workers’ Conclave took place in Raisen, Karnal, Sonipat, among others. These workers’ conclaves saw the participation of 11,000 workers from various sectors.

How You Can Help

Volunteer: Join us in empowering informal sector workers. Volunteers can help by participating in awareness campaigns, assisting at Worker Facilitation Centers, and supporting workers with applications and legal advice.

Donate: Your contributions can help expand our outreach and support more workers. Donations will be used to maintain Worker Facilitation Centers, organize awareness campaigns, and provide essential resources and assistance to workers.