The Prime Minister on August 25, 2022 inaugurated the two-day National Labour Conference at Tirupati, a meeting of Labour Ministers and Labour Secretaries from the States and Union Territories, by videoconference.
Key highlights
- The Prime Minister reiterated the various efforts by the Government like Pradhan Mantri Shram-Yogi Maandhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana that have given a kind of security cover to the workers. These schemes have assured the labourers of the recognition of their hard work and contribution.
- The PM said that the Emergency Credit Guarantee Scheme, according to a study, saved 1.5 crore jobs during the pandemic.
- The Prime Minister pointed out that the e-Shram portal is one of the key initiatives to bring the labour force into the ambit of social security. In just one year, about 28 crore workers from 400 areas have been registered on the portal. This has especially benefited construction workers, migrant labourers, and domestic workers.
Labour in the Concurrent List
- “Labour” as a subject is in the Concurrent List of the Constitution of India and under the Codes, the power to make rules is vested with the Central Government as well as the State Governments as appropriate Government.
Four Labour Codes
- Labour Code (Wage Code) – 2019: Four Labour Laws have been amalgamated into the Minimum Wages Code. Due to this, for the first time, all the workers have got the Right to Minimum Wages. The guarantee of minimum wages is available to 50 crore workers of organized and unorganized sectors. • Review of minimum wages in every 5 years. The determination of minimum wages has been made easy. It will be based on criteria such as skill level and geographical area.
- Social Security Code, 2020: To ensure security for all workers, the Central Government has amalgamated 9 Labour Laws into the Social Security Code in order to secure the right of workers for insurance, pension, gratuity, maternity benefit etc. The doors of ESIC will now be opened for the workers of all sectors along with the workers of the unorganized sector. Opportunity to join ESIC for platform and gig workers engaged in new technology. Plantation workers to get benefit of ESIC. • Institutions working in hazardous area to be compulsorily registered with ESIC. Benefit of pension scheme (EPFO) to all workers of organized, unorganized and self-employed sectors. Creation of social security fund for providing comprehensive social security to the unorganized sector.
- OSH Code (Occupational, Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code) – 2020: 13 existing Labour Laws have been subsumed in the Occupational, Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. Earlier only workers appointed by a contractor were recognized as Inter-State Migrant Workers. However, under the new provisions of the Code, workers can be Aatmanirbhar as they can now register themselves as Inter-State Migrant Workers on the national portal. By this provision, the worker would get a legal identity which would enable them to get benefits of all social security schemes. A provision has been made for employers to provide travelling allowance annually to an Inter-State Migrant Worker for undertaking a to-and-fro journey to his native place. • Providing of appointment letters to the workers has been made mandatory. • Mandatory, free annual health check-up of the workers to be provided by the employers. Instead of 240 days, now if a worker has worked 180 days, he shall be entitled for one-day leave for every 20 days of work done. Women have been given the right to work at night with their consent and it has also been ensured that the employer would make adequate arrangements to provide safety and facilities to women workers at night. Maternity Benefit Act was amended in 2017 to increase the paid Maternity leave for women workers from 12 to 26 weeks and ensure mandatory crèche facility in all establishments having 50 or more workers.
- Industrial Relations (IR) Code, 2020: By amalgamating 3 Labour Laws into the Industrial Relations Code the Central Government has taken steps for safeguarding the interests of Trade Unions as well as the workers. In case of job loss, a worker will get benefit under the Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna. • Under the Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna, a worker of organized sector who loses his job gets financial aid from the Government. In industrial establishments, a Trade Union having 51 per cent votes shall be recognised as the sole negotiating union which can make agreements with employers. • In industrial establishments in which no trade union gets 51 per cent votes, a negotiating council of trade unions shall be constituted for making agreements with employer.
