EDITORIAL POSTAL CRUSADER
JULY-2018
FOUR YEARS OF LABOUR LAWS
REFORMS
BJP Lead NDA Govt. has
completed four years. In these four years in the name of reforms and ease of
doing business, so many labour laws have been amended.
Just after coming in power NDA govt. proposed four labour
codes, consolidating 44 labour laws. But during these four years none of the
labour code was presented in the parliament. Only wages act 2017 was presented
in Parliament. This act will replace 4 laws i.e. minimum wages act, wages payment act, Equal
wages act and Bonus act . Besides this two more code bills are also under
process one related to social security and another related to job and
profession.
But without getting these bills passed by the Parliament,
Govt. has implemented some of the amendments. First attack on workers was
unleashed by amending factories act.
According to amendment the no. of workers was increased from 10 to 20
for the factories run by power and 20 to 40 run without power. Thus about 70% factories were put outside the
purview of factories act and the workers working in these factories were
deprived from protection of these laws. After amendment of 2015, the employer
has been permitted to call the women workers to work in night shift. Third amendment was made in 2016 and
according to this the limit of over time has been enhanced from 50 hours to 100
hours for heavy work it is 115 hours and for the work of public interest it is
increased as 125 hours. So in the name
of public interest, the employer has been given power to compel the worker to
work on overtime for 125 hours in a quarter.
Second big attack was made under National Employability
Mission under which the worker can be engaged as apprentice in the place of
permanent or contract worker and he will be paid minimum stipend and can be
engaged for three years which was 6 months earlier. Thus so many industrialists
who are retrenching the permanent workers and engaging new workers on
apprentice.
Third big attack now has come in the form of fixed term
employment. In so many sectors this govt. has introduced fixed term employment
in place of permanent job, and an impression has been created that all
statutory benefits will be provided to the workers engaged under this. But what
will be the fate of workers after that fixed term is not decided. The period of
fixed term has also been left to the industrialists. They will decide as to for
how much period worker is to be engaged. For such type of workers engaged under
fixed term, the EPF contribution will be deposited by the Govt. This incentive
given by the Govt. proves that the fixed term employment will be for three
years only. After fixed term what will be the position of unemployment has been
ignored by the Govt.
Thus the present Govt. making all amendments in labour
sector for the benefit of industrialists and corporate in the name of ease of
doing business and the rights of workers are being snatched slowly slowly
and our
country is moving ahead towards slavery system or bonded labour system
again which was defeated by consistent struggle of workers.
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