The Lok Sabha has passed the Government Bill to enact three new labour law codes:
- Industrial Relations Code, 2020
- Code on Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions Code, 2020
- Social Security Code, 2020.
29 labour laws are being subsumed in the simplified, easy to understand, transparent form in four labour codes. This is in furtherance of the labour reforms initiated by the enactment of Code of Wages. The reforms introduced include:
- New Labour Codes to envisage covering over 50 crore workers from organized, unorganized and self employed for minimum wages.
- Social security Social Security net of ESIC and EPFO to Widen opening up for all workers and self-employed.
- Setting up of “Social Security Fund” for 40 Crore unorganized workers alongwith GIG and platform workers and will help in widening Universal Social Security coverage Pay parity to women workers as compared to their male counterparts.
- Fixed Term Employee to get same service condition, gratuity, leave and Social Security as that of Regular Employee 50 % of the penalty in case of accident to go to the workers alongwith other dues.
- “National Occupational Safety and Health Board” to be set up for providing international level safety environment.
- Working journalists definition to include Digital and Electronic Media Plantation workers to also get ESIC benefits along with GIG and platform workers.
- All migrant Workers Labour now to be covered instead of only those brought by contactors earlier Data base on Migrant Workers through Law to help better targeting, skill mapping and utilization of Governments Schemes by workers Migrant Workers to get journey allowance from Employer, to visit home town once a year.
- Helpline to redress grievances of Migrant Workers The Codes to Promote Harmonious Industrial Relations for higher productivity and more employment generation Labour Codes will Establish transparent, answerable and simple mechanism reducing to one registration, one license and one return for all codes.
- Inspector to be now made as Inspector – cum- Facilitator and introduction of Random, Web Based Inspection System to remove Inspector Raj.
