PARLIAMENT PASSES THE INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2010
11.08.2010 (UNI) Parliament passed the Industrial Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2010 with the Lok Sabha approving the legislation by a voice vote.
Replying to the discussion on the Bill which had earlier been approved by the Rajya Sabha, Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge said the Government has set up a Task Force Committee (TFC) to look into the various issues arising out from the contractual labour.
He said once the report is submitted, the Government will invite all the stakeholders to participate for a discussion so as to reach a consensus before taking any final decision on this subject.
The Minister said similarly another TFC been set up to look into the various problems of the safai karmacharis to resolve their issues.
Mr Kharge said though the salary for the unorganised labourers has been increased from Rs 1600 to 10,000. Therefore, according to the bill, a person receiving upto Rs. 10,000 a month would be treated as a workman under the new provision instead of the present limit of Rs. 1,600. He further agreed that it is not enough and it should have been fixed at Rs 25,000 itself what was recommended by the Labour Ministry’s Standing Committee .That could not be implemented as many States were opposed to it and Labour being a subject under the concurrent list it is difficult to take any unilateral decision.
He said the Bill provides for fixing a specific period for conciliation within 45 days and thereafter the workers can directly move to the labour court.
Apart from this, the Bill also restricts the redressal time period to just 30 days and this is also for the larger interest of the labourers.
The Minister said in order to resolve the problem of non functioning of the labour courts and district redressal courts due to absence of the judges the Bill aims at appointing the Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner/ Grade III officers from the Indian Legal service to function so that the labourers could get the justice in time. UNI
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