Question : Labour Welfare Officer

(a)whether it is mandatory for the establishment/companies both in public and private sector to appoint labour welfare officer;
(b)if so, the details thereof;
(c)whether the Government has fixed certain qualification or preference is given to persons having Masters degree in social welfare for the post of labour welfare officer and if so, the details thereof; and
(d)the number of such private and public sector establishments/ companies at present which have not appointed the labour welfare officer as per the rules laid down procedure along with the steps taken by the Government in this regard, State/UT-wise?

MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI BANDARU DATTATREYA)
(a) & (b): Under section 49 of the Factory Act, 1948 it has been provided that every factory wherein five hundred or more workers are ordinarily employed, the occupier shall employ welfare officers in the factory. The state governments under the enabling provisions of the Act, have framed their respective state factories rules under this section for prescribing the number of such officers required, their duties, qualifications and conditions of service. The Factories Act, 1948 and the State Factories Rules framed thereunder are enforced by the respective State/UTs.

Contd..2/-

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(c): As per the Recruitment Rules of Central Labour Service (Group ‘A’), the educational qualification of Direct Recruitment of Junior Time Scale (JTS)[Assistant Labour Commissioner(Central) or Assistant Welfare Commissioner(Central) or Assistant Labour Welfare Commissioner (Central) or Assistant Director(IR)] are as under:

Essential:

(i) Degree of a recognised University
(ii) Diploma in Social Work or Labour Welfare or Industrial Relations or Personnel Management or Labour Laws from a recognised University or Institution.

Desirable:

Degree in Law from a recognised university.

Note: Qualification(s) are relaxable at the discretion of the Commission in case of candidates otherwise well qualified.

(d): As per the information collected through correspondence with the CIFs of the states/UTs, the number of factories registered under the Act requiring welfare officers and the number of such officers in position for the year 2014 is at Annexure-I.

Further, the Act contains provisions for imposing penalties for any contravention of the provisions of the Act or the rules framed thereunder and as per the information collected from the Chief Inspector of Factories, the State-wise details in respect of Prosecutions & Convictions under Section 92 & 96A of the Factories Act, 1948, for the violations of the provisions contained under the Act and the rules framed thereunder for the year 2014 is at Annexure-II.

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