The number of workers from the unorganised sector, mostly comprising those from other States who have registered themselves with the e-Shram portal, touched 21,784 in Ernakulam district as on Monday.
The campaign to register workers in the unorganised sector, who do not enjoy PF, ESI, and other benefits, is a Union Government initiative to create a database of workers to offer them protection and support.
Workers from various sectors, including agricultural labourers, are being brought under the purview of the database to enable them to avail benefits. Each registered worker will be issued an identity card, which can be used across the country to avail any benefits announced by the Government. The benefits include those offered during natural calamities.
Workers can register themselves without paying any fee at the nearest Akshaya Centre or Common Service Centre using Aadhaar cards and bank account numbers. The service centres are directly compensated by the Centre, sources in the Labour Department said.
The target group for the registration process is those aged between 16 and 59, the sources said, pointing out that though the present intensive campaign to register workers would conclude by December 30, the registration process would continue.
It is estimated that there are around one lakh workers from other States in the district. According to Labour Department figures, 1.48 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to workers from other States. The figure includes second doses too.
The registration of workers from the unorganised sector was launched on a Supreme Court directive in the wake of COVID-19 restrictions.
