In Surat’s power looms, ‘ease of doing business’ norms leave workers vulnerable to exploitation
Wages are low, hours are long and rates of injury are high. Representative image: A scene in a power-loom factor during the coronavirus lockdown in April. | Francis Mascarenhas/AFP
This is an excerpt from the sixth edition of the India Exclusion Report, a collaborative effort involving institutions and individuals working with a shared notion of social and economic equity, justice and rights. The report seeks to inform public opinion around exclusion and the role of the state and to influence policy-making towards creating a more inclusive, equitable and just society. The annual publication is anchored by the Centre for Equity Studies and edited by its director, Harsh Mander.
Updated Jan 06, 2021 | 06:25 IST
Traditionally tax was the annual change quotient for most employees that impacted their ‘take-home-pay’, but going forward labour codes may also have an impact. Representational image
The government has been pushing the ‘Make-in-India’ initiative by bringing in various legislative, administrative and e-governance related changes to facilitate the ease of doing business in India. The Labour Code is one such step in that direction. As part of labour law reforms, the Government of India has undertaken rationalisation of 29 labour regulations and subsume them into 4 labour codes namely,
The Code on Wages, 2019 that has included 4 legislations relating to wage rate, time of payment, bonus, equal opportunity and remuneration
Jal Shakti workers stage protest; demand regularization, wages
Jal Shakti workers stage protest; demand regularization, wages
Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Jan 2: Having denied their wages for the last over 58 long months, hundreds of Jal Shakti/ PHE workers staged massive protest demonstation at PHE Complex, Udhampur today.
A large number of Jal Shakti workers/daily wagers from Ramnagar, Chenani, Kud, Majalta, Manwal, Gordi, Barmeen, Pancheri, Krimachi, Jaganoo, Jib- Thathi, Tikri, Gharhi- Rehmbal area of district Udhampur assembled at the PHE Complex Udhampur today under the banner of Jal Shakti (PHE) Employees & Workers Association led by its Distt president and NPP Trade Union vice president for J&K UT, Som Nath and strongly condemned the attitude of the previous BJP-PDP Government and the present State Administration for not addressing issues of employees and temporary workers.
While the Code on Wages, 2019 (hereinafter referred to as
“
the Code”) received Presidential
assent on August 08 2019
1, the Government was
yet to notify the effective date of the Code coming into force. The
Code has unified and subsumed four different acts, namely the
Payment of Wages Act, 1936, the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the
Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976
(collectively “
Existing Legislation”).
The implementation of the Code is expected to have wide ranging
implications for a majority of stakeholders. Under Section 1(3) of
the Code, the Central Government has the power to issue
notification in the official gazette to appoint different dates for
Thu, Dec 31, 2020, 12:52 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka. Dec 31, Colombo: The Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake has announced that the first sitting of the 9th Parliament for the year 2021 will convene from the 5th of January to the 8th of January, as decided at the Committee on Parliamentary Business held yesterday (30).
The Committee on Parliamentary Business which was chaired by the Deputy Chairperson of Committees Angajan Ramanathan also decided to permit media to enter the Parliament premises for the purpose of covering Parliamentary proceedings. Accordingly, journalists will be allowed to enter the Parliament premises subjected to the guidelines set out in accordance with the COVID-19 health regulations.