Child labour bill to be placed in winter session: Minister

Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya on Friday said amendment bills related to child labour and payment of bonus would be placed during the winter session of parliament and sought the cooperation of opposition parties for their passage.

"These bills would be placed for discussion and consideration of passing in the winter session of the parliament...I request all the political parties to cooperate for the passage of the bills for economic development of the country," he told mediapersons here.

The union cabinet has already approved the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2012 and Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Bill, 2015.

As part of legislative reforms of labour laws, Dattatreya said his ministry was working to amalgamate 44 central labour laws into four codes in order to simplify them. The codes would relate to wages, industrial relations, social security and safety.

He said the bills on two codes -- one on wages and the other on industrial relations -- are under discussion and being prepared for the cabinet. "I will go to the cabinet for the approval. I want to get it passed in the winter session itself," he added.

Other bills, including those related to small factories, minimum wages and employees' provident fund, would also have to get the approval of the cabinet and would then be placed in parliament for their passage, the minister added.