DR. B.R. AMBEDKAR'S IDEAS ON LABOUR WELFARE AND THEIR RELEVANCE IN THE GIG ECONOMY AND INFORMAL SECTOR

Abstract

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's labour thought is often remembered through constitutionalism and social justice, but his work as a labour policymaker also provides a powerful framework for interpreting contemporary employment. This paper analyses Ambedkar's ideas on labour welfare and examines their relevance to India's gig economy and informal sector. It argues that Ambedkar treated labour welfare not as charity or administrative benevolence, but as a democratic condition necessary for dignity, security, equal opportunity and economic citizenship. His ideas on reasonable working hours, social security, maternity protection, industrial democracy, state responsibility and the organization of labour remain important in a labour market where platform workers, self-employed workers, casual labourers and unorganised workers often lack stable contracts, paid leave, social security and collective voice. The study uses a qualitative, historical and analytical research design based on secondary data, including Ambedkar's writings and speeches, labour legislation, government reports, PLFS 2023- 24, NITI Aayog estimates of gig work and recent studies on platform labour. Th analysis shows that the gig economy reproduces older informal-sector vulnerabilities in a technologically mediated form: flexible work is accompanied by income uncertainty, algorithmic control, weak bargaining power and fragmented welfare coverage. Ambedkar's labour welfare vision therefore remains relevant because it connects legal recognition with substantive protection. The paper concludes that the future of decent work in India requires portable social security, fair earnings standards, transparent platform governance, gender-sensitive protections and stronger worker representation.