Cabinet approves Code on Social Security
4 December 2019: The Union Cabinet approved the Code on Social Security Bill 2019. The bill aims to subsume 8 labour laws – the Employees’ Compensation Act, 1923; Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948; Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952; Maternity Benefit Act, 1961; Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972; Cine Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1981; Building and Other Construction Workers Cess Act, 1996 and Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008. Trade Unions had opposed the code for failing to ensure social security for all which the government had claimed as the intent behind codifying the laws.
Kerala: Government to stop recruitment in Group C & D jobs through employment exchange
4 December 2019: Kerala government has stopped recruitment through employment exchange in Group C & D category jobs, instead recruitments will be done through Kudumbashree run by State Poverty Eradication Mission and Kerala State Ex-Servicemen Development and Rehabilitation Corporation (Kexcon). Workers hired through the employment exchange receive wages as per the 7th Pay Commission with all other benefits while workers who are hired through Kudumbashree and Kexcon receive only Rs.7,000 per month and no seniority, priority or reservation. In 2016, the Additional Chief Secretary had issued an order that all vacancies not included in the purview of PSC should be filled through the employment exchange.
Punjab: Cabinet approves amendments to labour laws
2 December 2019: Punjab Cabinet approved amendments to the Factories Act, 1948, Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 and Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970 on 2 December 2019. The proposal includes increasing the threshold for applicability of the Factories Act to establishments with power from 10 workers to 20 workers and for establishments without power from 20 workers to 40. Further, the cabinet has proposed to amend Chapter V B of the Industrial Disputes Act and increased threshold for prior approval for retrenchment and closure of establishment from 100 or more workers to 300 and more, with the notice period set to 3 months.
