Delhi: Government announces Rs. 5,000 medical aid to Covid positive construction workers
27 April 2021: Delhi government announced that it will provide Rs. 5,000 as medical aid to construction workers who get infected by COVID-19, subject to a maximum of Rs. 10,000 per family. In order to claim the medical aid, a family member will have to produce the RT-PCR test report of the covid-positive worker. The government also announced the disbursal of Rs. 5,000 as financial aid to all registered construction workers in the state.
Uttar Pradesh: Government announces paid leave for Covid-affected workers, wages for workers in establishments shut down by administration
21 April 2021: The Uttar Pradesh government announced a 28-day paid leave for workers who are quarantined as suspected or confirmed Covid-19 cases. It will apply to workers in factories, shops and commercial establishments with 10 or more workers. The amount will be paid to workers after submission of a medical certificate to their employer at the time of re-joining duty. Government also announced that workers of commercial establishments and factories which have temporarily shut on district magistrate’s orders will be paid wages by their employer for the period of closure.
Central govt extends insurance scheme for healthcare workers for another year, after facing flak for discontinuing it
20 April 2021: The Central government extended the Rs 50 lakh insurance scheme for healthcare workers across the country who die in the line of Covid19 duty. The scheme had expired on March 24 but had been extended by a month. On March 24 the central government had sent a letter to all states informing them that the scheme was expiring the same day, which triggered a massive outrage in the medical profession and the wider society.
Government to conduct 5 labour surveys in 7 months amid pandemic
05 April 2021: The Ministry of Labour and Employment is conducting five labour surveys from April to November, 2021 amid the worsening pandemic situation. The surveys will collect data on migrant workers, domestic workers, employment generated by the transport sector and a quarterly survey of the unorganised sector. According to the Labour Bureau, the field survey started from April 1, when pandemic restrictions had been put in place in certain states.
Labour Ministry sets up panels to review existing health and safety regulations in factories, docks and construction work
01 April 2021: Ministry of Labour & Employment has set up three expert committees to review the existing rules and regulations on safety, health and working condition standards, pertaining to factories, docks and construction work. After reviewing the rules and regulations under the respective Acts, it will suggest standards to be incorporated under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH&WC) Code, 2020.
