LabourNet to empower wage earners

Nextbillion.net interviewed the Rajesh Joseph, CEO of LabourNet, a social enterprise aimed to help informal urban labour continue to find employment, job security and training. Shital wrote about this venture back in July.

The organization’s holistic approach is one that I believe is crucial for actually building successful entrepreneurs within India. Here is a an excerpt and a diagram of their model:

Urban informal workers – who are only becoming more common in India’s cities as rural-urban migration intensifies – generally struggle to find consistent work, lack any type of insurance, and are unable to save, which precludes the crucial process of wealth accumulation. LabourNet has positioned itself as an orchestrator between labor and clients. Using a computer database and an SMS platform, LabourNet is able to match appropriate laborers to its clients. It offers a simplified and reliable labor solution to clients like a construction company building a supermarket or a family in need of a maid, while at the same time providing job security to the workers. And it’s not just a middleman. It provides social services such as a bank account, health insurance, ongoing training, and even childcare for the many women using LabourNet’s services. Any profits are plowed back into worker welfare and scaling up the organization.

Go here for the whole story.