Parliamentary standing committee on Labour to examine impact of Ayushman Bharat, Aarogya Setu app
27 August 2020: The standing committee on labour is scrutinising different programs of the Centre and their impact on workers with a particular emphasis on inter-state migrants, informal and unorganised sector workers during the lockdown. The committee has invited health department to understand the impact of
Ayushman Bharat and Aarogya Setu app. The committee is scheduled to submit a report to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for discussion during the monsoon session of the Parliament.
Karnataka: Government to build transit homes for migrant workers
24 August 2020: Inspired by the success of ‘Apna Ghar’ scheme of Kerala government which provides shelter to migrant workers at nominal rates, Karnataka government has decided to build 4 transit homes for the migrant workers in Bengaluru, each with a capacity to accommodate at least 3,000 workers. Aimed at providing better living conditions for migrant workers each shelter home would be built with a budget of Rs. 50 crores which will have kitchens for the workers to cook their own meals.
ESIC to offer 50% of salary as unemployment benefit to workers who lost their jobs due to lockdown
20 August 2020: Employee State Insurance Corporation has announced that it will pay 50% of last three months to those workers who were in employment for a minimum period of two years immediately before his/ her unemployment and should have contributed for not less than 78 days in the contribution period (six months) immediately preceding to unemployment, and minimum 78 days in one of the remaining three contribution periods in two years prior to unemployment. The scheme will be operated under the Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana and benefit over 4 million workers.
Delhi: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation slashes workers’ perk and allowances by 50%
19 August 2020: Facing adverse financial condition due to non-operation of metro services amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has decided to reduce perks and allowances of its workers by 50%. Starting August 2020, perks and allowances shall be payable at 15.75% of the basic pay and all sanctions of fresh advances, house building advance, multipurpose advance, laptop advance, festival advance and others have been put on hold till further orders.
Jharkhand: Government launches employment guarantee scheme for unskilled workers in urban areas
15 August 2020: Jharkhand government has launched an employment guarantee scheme like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act to ensure that people migrating back to the state due to COVID-19 induced lockdown do not go hungry. The state urban development department will be responsible for executing the scheme. Under the scheme persons over 18 years of age and living in the area since April 1, 2015 can apply either online or through their ward level officers under the Mukhyamantri SHRAMIK (Shahri Rozgar Manjuri For Kamgar) Yojna, to avail work for 100 days a year within 15 days of receiving an application. Government will provide an unemployment allowance to the applicant if it fails to provide employment within the stipulated time.
Government scraps Handloom and Handicrafts Boards
07 August 2020: The Union Ministry of Textile issued two notifications on 27 July 2020 abolishing the All India Handicrafts Board and the All India Handloom Board. The Boards were formed with the vision to aid the government to form policies for the overall development of the sector. The move will adversely affect nearly 2.8 million households in India, mostly rural, which are associated with handloom work in India.
Himachal Pradesh: Government to appoint multi-task workers on 10-month fixed term contracts
04 August 2020: The Himachal Pradesh government has finalised the policy to appoint ‘part time multi-task workers’ responsible for carrying out daily works as opening and closing of schools, cleaning of premises, distributing the post and arrangement of drinking water on contractual basis with no claim for regularization. The workers will be paid consolidated amount of Rs. 5,625 per month for 10 months as honorarium in an academic year. Appointments would be made based on ‘merit’ decided by a marking system. Marks would be awarded to the candidates for parameters like distance from school, educational qualification, widows/persons living in extreme indigent condition, families who have donated land for the school, candidates belonging to ST/SC/OBC/BPL and unemployed families.
