Government reconstitutes expert committee on minimum wages
29 September, 2021: The Union Ministry of Labour & Employment has reconstituted the expert committee on minimum wages again after the resignation of the head and a member of the committee.
This was the second expert committee tasked with the fixation of minimum wages and national floor wages according to the Code on Wages, 2019. The Satpathy Committee had suggested a national minimum wage of Rs 375 per day in 2019; the government rejected it as being too high.
West Bengal: Jute committee suggests govt not to enforce permanent workers clause at mills
24 September, 2021: The three-member jute committee set up in 2019 has suggested the state government to not enforce the permanent workers clause, which would have forced jute mills to increase the number of permanent workers they employ. Currently, only a small minority of jute mill workers are permanent.
Karnataka: Government illegally diverts workers’ welfare fund to buy COVID-19 vaccines from private hospitals
09 September, 2021: The Karnataka government illegally diverted Rs 15.60 crore from the Building and Other Construction Workers (B&OCW) Welfare Fund to buy two lakh doses of Covishield vaccines from private hospitals (at Rs 780 per dose) for workers.
All citizens above the age of 18 years are entitled to be provided free COVID-19 vaccines by the central government.
Jharkhand becomes third state to reserve 75% private sector jobs for locals after Andhra, Haryana
8 September, 2021: The Jharkhand Assembly passed a Bill reserving 75% of private sector jobs in the state for locals.
The Jharkhand State Employment of Local Candidates in Private Sector Bill, 2021 mandates each private sector employer to reserve 75% of jobs with monthly salary up to Rs 40,000 for local candidates.
Jharkhand has become the third state after Andhra Pradesh and Haryana to pass such a law (in 2019 and 2020 respectively).
Tamil Nadu becomes second state to give employees the ‘right to sit’ after Kerala
6 September, 2021: The Tamil Nadu Assembly passed an amendment in a law and makde it mandatory for all employers to provide seating arrangements for their employees.
It added Sub-section 22-A to the Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishments Act, 1947, thus becoming the second state to provide workers the ‘right to sit’ after Kerala passed a similar amendment in 2018.
