Central PSEs had 11.25 lakh permanent workmen in 2011-12: Govt

The government today said there were 11.25 lakh permanent workmen and 2.63 lakh contract labourers in 234 Central public sector enterprises (PSEs) during 2011-12.
Minister of State for Labour Vishnu Deo Sai in a written reply to Rajya Sabha said according to Public Enterprises Survey 2011-12 brought out by the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, there were 11.25 lakh permanent workmen and 2.63 lakh contract labourers in 234 Central public sector enterprises during 2011-12.
He said the information available from state governments under Employment Market Information Programme shows that a total of 2.90 crore persons were employed in 2011 in both public and private sector.

In 2010, a total of 2.87 crore persons were employed in both the sectors. While 1.75 crore were employed in public sector in 2011, 1.15 crore were employed in private sector in the same year.
Replying to another question, he said as per the NSSO survey, workforce grew from 46.55 crore during 2009-10 to 47.41 crore during 2011-12, registering a growth of 0.5 per cent per annum.
The 12th Five Year Plan projects 5 crore new work opportunities to be generated in the non-farm sector and provides for skill certification to equivalent numbers, Sai said.

He said the National Commission for Protection of Child RIghts (NCPCR) has recommended for changes in the Child Labour Act.

The main recommendations of NCPCR are to change the title of the Act as "Child Labour Prohibition Act 1986, complete prohibition of employment of children below 18 years, except working of adolescent in the age group of 15-18 years in prescribed vacations in certain occupations, he said.
The NCPCR has also recommended regulation of working conditions of adolescent working during vacations, where they are not prohibited from working, and to make the offence as congnizable and non-bailable, the minister said.
He said the NCPCR has suggested that adolescent may be included in the definition of child labour as it would be in consonance with the definition of child under Juvenile Justice Act 2000 and United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) ratified by India on December 11, 1992.

He said the recommendation of NCPCR was duly considered by the government and Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation )Amendment Bill 2012 has been introduced in the Parliament.