UPSC Articles
Changes brought to Labour laws by U.P and M.P governments
Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Employment
In News:
- The Uttar Pradesh government has approved an Ordinance exempting businesses from all the labour laws except few for the next 3 years.
- Madhya Pradesh government has also suspended many labour laws for the next 1000 days.
Key takeaways:
Uttar Pradesh:
- Laws related to the following have become defunct:
- Settling industrial disputes
- Occupational safety
- Health and working conditions of workers
- Trade unions, contract workers, and migrant labourers
- No relaxation in laws related to the following:
- Bonded labour
- Deployment of women and children
- Timely payment of salaries
- These changes will apply to both the existing businesses and the new factories being set up in the state.
Madhya Pradesh
- Few important amendments are:
- Employers can increase working hours in factories from 8 to 12 hours.
- The factory registration will be done within a day, instead of 30 days.
- The licence renewal will be done after 10 years, instead of a year.
- Industrial Units will be exempted from majority of the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
- Contractors employing less than 50 workers will be able to work without registration under the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970.
- Reasons for change in labour laws in both states:
-
- To attract investment.
- To encourage industrial activity.
- To protect the existing employment.
- To provide employment to workers. who have migrated back to their respective States.
- To increase the revenue of states which have fallen due to closure of industrial units during Covid-19 lockdown.
- The changes could lead to denying the rights of workers which is a violation of human and fundamental rights.
- It may create insecurity among the workers.
- The changes may lead to desperate conditions for workers.
Important value additions:
The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947
- It was enacted to promote industrial peace by providing appropriate machinery for amicable settlement of disputes arising between employers and employees.
