Labour Reforms

Apple and its supplier Foxconn were among the companies that lobbied for a landmark liberalisation of labour laws in the southern state of Karnataka earlier this month, the Financial Times reported

Expanding the social security coverage for unorganised workers and pursuing states to make rules for labour codes will be the key priorities for the government in 2023, as efforts continue to strengthen the country's labour market. With India set to host G-20 leaders' summit for the first time next year, the Union labour ministry will also pursue key employment-related agenda touching upon global skill gaps, gig and platform economy, sustainable financing of social security schemes and other issues. "Our efforts will be to cover a large number of unorganised sector workers under the ambit of social security schemes in 2023 and provide them with eligible benefits online. We want to make processes paperless in the ministry," Union Labour and Employment Minister Bhupender Yadav told PTI. The four labour codes on social security, industrial relations, wages, and Occupational Safety Health & Working Conditions (OSH) have already been cleared by Parliament but they can be implemented ...

Write to labour minister Bhupender Yadav stating that the codes curtail the rights and protective provisions contained in existing statutes, impose more derogatory working conditions on workers

Plans to introduce more tax cuts next year as part of first full Budget

Report reveals that just 20% of fixed-term employment contracts are renewed

The issues figured at the seventh joint working group meeting between India and Qatar on labour and manpower development that took place on May 4 to 5 in New Delhi

Productive hours lost to heat and humidity globally are about 400 billion hours greater than previous estimates, roughly the same as the amount of work hours lost during the Covid-19 pandemic

Four labour codes that everyone is talking about

The Parliament passed the much talked about labour codes to reform the labour laws, which have been unchanged since Independence. Check out more about the codes and what all they promise to change

Govt needs new ideas to address distress in cities

The promise of a less suspicious govt is surprising. What about the disconnect between the new business stance and earlier push to dictate the narrative in politics and public life, wonders T N Ninan

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has finalised rules under the four labour codes paving the way for making reforms a reality by notifying those for implementation soon. The four broad codes on wages, industrial relations, social security and occupational safety, health & working conditions (OSH) have already been notified after getting the President's assent. But for implementing these four codes, the rules need to be notified. Now the ministry has completed the process of consultation on draft rules on the four codes and firmed up those for notification. Talking to PTI, Labour Secretary Apurva Chandra said, "We have finalised the rules under the four codes which are required to implement the four labour codes. We are ready to notify these rules. The states are doing their work to firm up rules under the four codes." Parliament had passed four codes on four broad codes on wages, industrial relations, social security and occupational safety health & working conditions ...

A faltering economy may have led to a re-think on economic strategy. And Mr Modi might think he is politically strong enough to take some risks. But there could be a minefield ahead, writes T N Ninan

Economic reforms require expending political capital by the governments, as the benefits of reforms are spread thin and become apparent only with a time lag

The "trinity of reforms" undertaken by his government in the education, agriculture and labour sectors will immensely help students, farmers and youth of the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said

We take a look at what transpired on the jobs and labour fronts in 2020 and what experts have to say as we step into 2021

New rules silent on treating benefits like medical allowance and rent free accommodation as part of wages

He said that India is the only country which utilised the opportunity provided by the current crisis to unleash the second generation reforms that are focused on factor markets

Robots will destroy 85 million jobs at mid-sized to large businesses over the next five years as the Covid-19 pandemic accelerates changes in the workplace likely to exaggerate inequalities

The Wage Code Bill, 2019, was passed by Parliament last year

Industries to file single return under new regime. Number of minimum wages demanding compliance set to reduce to 12 from 540 under central laws, to 180-200 under the state laws