Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant on Platform Workers Bill

The Platform Workers Bill is an important milestone for this group of workers as it recognises their contributions and formalises them as key players in the economy, said NMP Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant in Parliament on Tuesday (Sep 10). It also benefits employers, he said. Providing clear guidelines on rights and responsibilities reduces ambiguity and could result in greater trust; businesses which comply with the regulations may win more customers and better-performing workers; promoting healthy competition could also improve efficiency and stimulate innovation among operators. Mr Parekh sought some clarifications on the Bill. They included whether there will be any Government support measures to help businesses with increased costs, as well as a transition period for compliance; whether existing contracts will be affected, especially if they conflict with provisions of the Bill; and if there are plans for a separate division in the Ministry of Manpower to address the needs of the gig economy in the long term.