(a)whether the recent amendments brought to the labour laws will impact labour rights in any way;
(b)if so, the details thereof;
(c)whether India has slipped to rank 151 among 158 countries in protecting labour rights as per Oxfam’s Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index; and
(d)if so, the steps being taken by the Government to protect labour rights?
MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)
(a) & (b): The four Labour Codes, namely, the Code on Wages, 2019; the Industrial Relations Code, 2020; the Code on Social Security, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 have been passed by the Parliament. Accordingly, the Code on Wages, 2019 was notified on 8th August, 2019 and remaining three Codes were notified on 29th September, 2020. The four Labour Codes inter-alia extend social protection to workers, including in unorganized sectors in respect of extending statutory minimum wages to all, formulation of schemes for benefit of workers to provide for healthcare benefits, Employees’ Provident Fund, Pension and Employees’ Deposit-Linked Insurance, etc.
Contd..2/-
:: 2 ::
(c) & (d): The rank assigned to India and methodology adopted is not clear and does not take into account the entire gamut of provisions in the Indian legislations relevant to protection of labour rights, particularly relating to formation of trade unions. Although India is not signatory of the two ILO Conventions namely C87 - Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 and C 98 - Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949, the principles of both the Conventions are available to workers. Also, the methodology does not take into account the various provisions that have been provided in the Labour Codes.
*****