Parliament passes bill simplifying labour laws for small firms

Parliament Friday passed a bill which simplifies labour laws for establishments employing up to 40 workers.

The Labour Laws (Exemption from Furnishing Returns and Maintaining Registers by Certain Establishments) Amendment Bill, 2011, was approved by the Lok Sabha after rejection of amendments moved by Trinamool Congress' Saugata Roy.

The bill, which was passed by the Rajya Sabha Tuesday, amends the Labour Laws (Exemption from Furnishing Returns and Maintaining Registers by Certain Establishments) Amendment and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1988, which defines small establishments as any place which employs between 10 and 19 people on any day of the preceding 12 months.

It amends the definition of "small establishment" to cover establishments that employ between 10 and 40 people.

Under the existing act, these establishments are exempted from furnishing returns and maintaining registers under certain labour laws.

Moving the bill for consideration and passage, Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya said the government was committed to protect the interests of workers in the unorganised sector.