Professor (Dr.) Sanjay
The Industrial Disputes Act of 1947, the Factories Act of 1948, the Minimum Wages Act of 1948, the Employees’ State Insurance Act of 1948, and other laws are among those that regulate labor laws in India. The Payment of Wages Act of 1936, the Minimum Wages Act of 1948, the Payment of Bonus Act of 1965, and the Equal Remuneration Act of 1976 have all been merged into one new law, the Code on Wages, 2019, which was recently passed.
To encourage employment in the nation, the Indian government has started a number of initiatives. The Make in India campaign, the program’s centerpiece, aims to entice domestic and international companies to invest in India and generate job opportunities. Another important initiative is the Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY), which incentivizes employers to create new jobs by reimbursing the employers’ contribution to PF and pension accounts of new employees, and by providing a 24-month EPF contribution for new employees.
To promote employment in the nation, the Indian government has put forth a number of labor reform proposals. Some of the upcoming labor reforms are listed below:.
1. Industrial Relations Code, 2020: To make doing business easier and promote job growth, the government has proposed to combine three labor laws—the Industrial Disputes Act of 1947, the Trade Unions Act of 1926, and the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Central (Amendment) Rules, 2018—into a single code. The new code will increase employers’ hiring and firing latitude and create a re-skilling fund for laid-off workers.
2. The Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act of 1952 and the Maternity Benefit Act of 1961 are just two of the nine major social security laws that the government wants to combine into one code, the Social Security Code, 2020. All workers, including gig and platform workers, will be covered by social security under the new law.
3. The Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions (OSH) Code, 2020: The OSH Code, which was introduced in 2020, proposes to consolidate and simplify existing labor laws related to safety, health, and working conditions. The code aims to enhance working conditions and make the workplace safer for employees.
4. The government has proposed changing the Apprenticeship Act of 1961 to increase the apprentice stipend and make apprenticeship training required in all industries. More businesses will be encouraged to recruit and train apprentices as a result, increasing the number of job opportunities for young people.
In addition to extending social security coverage and enhancing working conditions for employees, these proposed labor reforms seek to modernize India’s labor laws, streamline and consolidate the country’s current labor laws, and give employers more flexibility.
The government recently introduced a number of labor reforms intended to increase employment in the nation. The introduction of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Code, 2020, which gives employers the freedom to choose working hours, shift timings, and OT payments, is the most significant reform. The Code also permits the employment of interns, gig workers, and apprentices, all of which are anticipated to promote the growth of employment opportunities.
In conclusion, the Indian government has been making efforts to encourage the creation of jobs in the nation through programs like Make in India and PMRPY as well as recent labor reforms. These programs are anticipated to promote job growth and increase the ease of doing business in the nation.
