Question : New Labour Codes from April, 2021

(a)whether there is any delay in implementing new Labour Codes from 1st April, 2021 and if so, the details thereof;
(b)the reasons for delay in clearing the air on working hours in factories, etc.;
(c)the details of clarification that the Ministry would give under Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code wherein it indicated that the working hours in a day could be modified; and
(d)whether the working hours could be more than 8 hours and if so, the time by which rules are likely to be notified?

MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

(a): As a step towards implementation of four Labour Codes, the Government has pre-published the 4 Rules, namely, the Code on Wages (Central) Rules, 2020, the Industrial Relation (Central) Rules, 2020, the Code on Social Security (Central) Rules, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2020 for seeking stakeholders comments including general public. In the meanwhile, the provisions related to the Central Advisory Board as specified under Section 42 and 67 of the Code on Wages, 2019 have come into effect on 18th December, 2020. In addition, the Code on Wages (Central Advisory Board) Rules, 2021 have come into effect on 1st March, 2021.

(b) to (d): At present, the provisions relating to working hours as in the Factories Act, 1948 or other applicable Acts are in force. Provisions relating to daily or weekly working hours under the Codes, including in the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, will get implemented after the relevant provisions or rules made thereunder have come into force.
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