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Government of India
Ministry of Labour & Employment
17-December-2015 17:57 IST
Achievements and Initiatives of the Ministry of Labour & Employment

                                                                                                                        

Year end review-2015

Ministry of Labour&Employment

 

 

Labour is one of the most critical factors of production.  Industrial peace and harmony can be achieved only when the goals of employment and employability are in tune with the goals of industrial development and growth. The Ministry is focusing on welfare of the Workforce of India in prevailing scenario and striving towards “Making India a Better Work Place for All”

Ministry of Labour& Employment has taken several initiatives during last one year for promoting conducive industrial and business environment in the country and catalyze creation of employment opportunities while ensuring safety, health and social security of every worker. These initiatives are:

 

46th Indian Labour Conference      

      The Indian Labour Conference (ILC) is the apex level tripartite consultative committee in the Ministry of Labour & Employment to advise the Government on the issues concerning working class of the country. The 46th Indian Labour Conference (ILC) was held on 20th July, 2015 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Launching National Career Service (NCS) Portal and ESIC 2.0: Reform Initiatives of ESIC on the occasion, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi quoted “ILC as Labour Parliament of India” and India has experience of about 75 years relating to tripartite consultations.

 

Labour Reforms

Launching of the Shram Suvidha Portal in October 2014 brought four major organisations under the Ministry of Labour and Employment to one platform. These are Office of Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Directorate General of Mines Safety, Employees’ Provident Fund Organization and Employees’ State Insurance Corporation.

The portal has facilitated in brining transparency and accountability leading to better enforcement of the Labour Laws. Transparent Labour Inspection Scheme has reduced the discretionary powers of the Inspectors minimizing the harassment of employers. Since the launch of the Scheme 1,35,698 inspections have been assigned as on 04th December,2015 of which 1,26,893 have already been uploaded on Shram Suvidha Portal.  Filing of Single Unified Annual Return for 8 Labour Acts (which were half yearly / annually earlier) has facilitated in easing the compliance burden of the employers. Since the launch of the Online Annual Return on 24th April,2015, 444 online returns have been filed on the Shram Suvidha Portal as on 4th December,2015. Unique Labour Identification Number (LIN) is allotted to Units. Total Labour Identification Number (LIN) assigned to units, as on 04th December.2015 is 9,63,037.

Legislative Reforms: The second National Commission on Labour had recommended for the enactment of a special law for small manufacturing units and also that the existing Labour Laws should be broadly grouped into four or five Labour Codes on functional basis. Accordingly, the Ministry has taken steps for –

--Drafting Small Factories Bill regulating the working and service conditions of workers in small manufacturing units employing less than 40 workers;

  --Drafting four Labour Codes-  (a)Labour Code on Wages, (b)Labour Code on Industrial Relations, (c)Labour Code on Social Security & Welfare and (d) Labour Code on Safety & Working Conditions, by simplifying, amalgamating and rationalizing the relevant provisions of the Central Labour laws.

These reforms will help in catalyzing the creation of employment opportunities in the country, without diluting basic aspects of safety, security and health provisions / standards for workers. Drafting of these  legislations is in advanced stage.

Common Registration under 5 Central Labour Acts, by integration with DIPP’s E-Biz Portal:

The design of portal for Common Registration under 5 Labour Acts has been developed in association with Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion,. The facility is to be formally launched shortly. The acts covered for common registration include:

Ø  The Employees Provident Fund & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952,

Ø  The Employees State Insurance Act, 1948,

Ø  The Building & Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996,

Ø  The Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970, and

Ø  The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979

 

Labour Welfare

Utilization of  Building and Other Construction Workers( BOCW) Welfare Cess Funds-

Pursuant to the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in W.P. (C) No. 318/2006 a national roadmap for utilization of Cess Fund at least to the tune of Rs. 3250.10 crore per annum has been finalized. Directions in this regard have been issued to the State/UTs under section 60 of the BOCW Act to utilize the Cess Fund in the manner prescribed there under for providing Social Security and other benefits to the BOC Workers. 

Revision of Bonded Labour Rehabilitation Scheme 1978-

The proposal to increase in existing monetary assistance, last revised in 1995, of Rs. 20,000/- to the bonded labourers for their subsistence at the time of their release at present, is in consultation stage.

Amendment to Contract Labour, Inter-State Migrant Workmen and BOCW Act-

The amendments to various provisions of The Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment & Condition of Service) Act, 1996, the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 and the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (RECS) Act, 1979 are under consideration of the Ministry and the same are being dealt by the Labour Reforms Cell specially created for labour law reforms. 

Revision of Cess Rates

                Based on specific recommendation of Central Advisory Committees in respect of Beedi Workers, Iron/Manganese/Chrome Ore Mines Workers and Limestone and Dolomite Mines Workers, the Ministry decided to move amendment proposal to the respective Cess Acts and enhance the Cess rates. The proposal is under submission.

Labour Code on Social Security & Welfare:

Amalgamation of Welfare Acts, Fund Acts and Cess Acts in respect of Beedi, Iron/Manganese/ Chrome Ore Mines, Limestone and Dolomite Mines, Mica Mine and Cine Workers with the Labour Code on Social Security has been drafted by the Expert Committee for Labour Code and is under consideration of the Ministry.

National Policy for Domestic Workers

The National Policy for Domestic Workers has been drafted by Labour Welfare (LW) Bureau and is placed for consideration of the Government before stakeholder/Inter-Ministerial consultation.

Enhancing scales of benefits under various Welfare Schemes funded by the Cess Acts

Housing:  The RIHS 2007 has been proposed for revision to increase the subsidy amount from ₹40,000/- to ₹1,00,000/- per tenement.  The proposal has been submitted to Secretary (Expenditure) for holding CNE appraisal meeting.

Education:  Amount of Assistance for ITI education has been enhanced from Rs.2000/- to Rs.10,000/-. Beneficiaries are presently getting this enhanced stipend. 

E-portal:  A national e-portal for online application and disbursement of scholarships has started for all students starting from class I to professional degree w.e.f. 1st September 2015.

DBT:  Cash assistance under housing and scholarship schemes is now being transferred in electronic mode to the beneficiary account.  The initiative started in 2013 has reached full scale w.e.f. 1.4.2015.

 

National Career Service Portal (NCSP)

The Ministry of L&E is implementing the National Career Service (NCS) Project as a Mission Mode Project for transformation of the National Employment Service to provide a variety of employment related services like career counseling, vocational guidance, information on skill development courses, apprenticeship, internships, etc.  The Portal may be accessed at URL www.ncs.gov.in and a toll free number 1800-425-1514 is operational 12 hours a day from Tuesday to Sunday. Since its launch on 20th July, 2015 , approximately 3,57,34,092 job seekers, 9,30,343  employers, 27,460 skill providers and 537 Counselors are registered on the NCS portal. Data from 15 States available in the electronic form have also been migrated on the NCS Portal (States: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Goa, Gujarat, Jharkand, Karnataka, Lakshwadeep, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, West Bengal)

In a parallel exercise, the Ministry is initiating a programme for capacity building of officers of the National Employment Service

In the NCS Project, setting up 61 Model career centres is proposed at different locations in collaboration with States and Other Institutions to provide a variety of employment related services.

 

Exhibition-cum-Awareness Meet on the Initiatives

                An Exhibition cum Awareness Meeting of the initiatives of the Ministry of Labour and Employment  was  held at MCD Civic Center, New Delhi on 25th May,2015.   The exhibition highlighted various initiatives by the Ministry and its various organizations like ESIC, EPFO, CLC(C), DGET, DGLW, Labour Bureau, DGMS, DGFASLI and VVGNLI..

A photo exhibition on the achievements and details of schemes implemented by Ministry of Labour and Employment was organized at People’s Plaza at Hyderabad on 23rd October, 2015.

A Conference was held on 6th December, 2015 in light of the pioneer work done by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, in the area of Labour Welfare. A booklet “Dr B R Ambedkar –Labour Welfare &Empowerment : Initiatives to make his vision a reality” was also released on this occasion. It was unanimously resolved to work collectively and collaboratively to  realize the vision of Dr. B. R Ambedkar for  labour welfare.

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