By TIOL News Service

KOLKATA, OCT 13, 2015: "LABOUR reforms are high on our agenda and emphasis is on the organization of the untouched and marginalized labour sections," said Mr Bandaru Dattatreya, Minister of State, (I/C) for Labour and Employment, Government of India, addressing the CII National Council Meeting here today.  Social security, safe working conditions which will help in ease of doing business is the primary focus of the government in terms of implementing the labour law reforms, according to Mr Dattatreya.  

An inclusive growth, conducive atmosphere and communal harmony among labour are the need of the hour. Talking of the draft labour reforms, the MoS said that the Government has introduced a number of schemes with the aim to bring the unorganized labour section under one uniform umbrella. This is in alignment with the Prime Minister's vision of Make in India, Skill India and Digital India, said the Minister of State to the industry members.  Shram Suvidha Portal is one of the initiatives which will be operative in 4 Central Organisations like Chief Labour Commissioner, Directorate General of Mines Safety, Employee Provident Fund Organisation and ESIC. It will enable filing of self-certified and simplified Single Online Return by the industry on 16 Labour Laws. It will play a pivotal role to bring about transparency and accountability in enforcement of labour laws and ease complexity of compliance.

The new initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Labour & Employment are meant to amalgamate and simplify 44 Central Labour Laws into 4 Labour Codes which are Labour Code on Wages, Code on Industrial Relations, Code on Social Security & Welfare & Labour Code on Safety & Working Conditions. This will ensure ease of doing business by bringing in transparency in processes.

Speaking elaborately on the draft labour reform laws, Mr Dattatreya said that "the Ministry is replacing the inspectors as facilitators who would supply information and advice to employers and workers concerning the most effective means of complying with provisions of this Code in addition to other functions." He said that to actualize the vision of inclusive growth, the need of the hour is a stable, consultative partnership between labour, industry and the civil society which will take forward the development of the nation.

While answering to queries from the industry leaders, Mr Dattatreya said that though labour laws is a concurrent subject, the states are on the same page as they all feel the need for a conducive atmosphere for development. He expressed hope that CII will initiate a process of engaging labour unions, industry and the political parties to have a win – win situation in terms of the labour laws reforms. The Minister of State said that an attitudinal change of bringing Nation first will pave the way for implementing a better social security for the labourers across the country. He also agreed with the industry that the workforce in the hospitality, healthcare and retail sectors need to have a minimum protection under the new labour laws.