LabourNet was started in the year 2006 as an initiative of Movement for Alternatives for Youth Awareness (MAYA), a non-governmental organization based in Bangalore. It began largely as an effort to provide a one-stop platform for unorganised sector workers to obtain services which are currently available and accessible by formal sector workers. Today, LabourNet stands as a separate sustainable ent
ity which is exclusively working towards building an ecosystem that will empower the informal sector workers – estimated to be about 400 million –and provide access to this workforce for economic development. It provides financial inclusion, social protection and welfare services to unorganised workers, builds capacities of workers and markets their services to customers. LabourNet focuses on improving workers lives through seven strategies:
Enabling workers to build an identity
Improving productivity through a process of continuous assessment and skill training
Facilitating work linkages
Providing workers with information to live in the city
1.Facilitating access to accident insurance as a first step to social security
2. Linking workers to state sponsored social protection schemes (i.e. construction workers welfare board, unorganised sector workers welfare board etc.)
3. Facilitating financial inclusion by opening bank accounts and encouraging workers to participate in bank linked savings programmes
LabourNet is supported by National Skill Development Corporation of India, besides other funding and knowledge partners.
