Govt may introduce two labour codes in next Parliament session

The Labour Ministry may introduce two out of four labour codes in the next Parliament session, Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said today.
The Minister of State for Labour said out of the four labour codes -- wages, industrial relations, social security and working conditions to strengthen safety, and social security of workers, the two codes with regard to wages and industrial relations may be introduced in the next session.
"We may introduce two codes - one on industrial relations and the other one on wages - in the coming Parliament session," Dattatreya told reporters during a press conference.
He said the NDA government has initiated a process where the existing 44 central labour laws are to be "simplified and rationalised and amalgamated" into the four labour codes.

He said some of the trade unions have expressed apprehensions on some of the provisions in the codes such as notice period for undertaking strike by the labour bodies.
As per the new codes, trade bodies will have to give a minimum of 14 days notice to the management if they plan to go on a strike.

"The provision that we have made in the Code is 14 days notice for strike. They (trade unions) say that it (strike) is their right. We say some time period has to be given because we say the industry should not suffer," he said.

He also said the six proposed amendments to the EPF and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, would also be introduced in the Parliament during the next session.
On the Supreme Court's decision that struck down a new law to appoint judges to the higher judiciary, Dattatreya said the ruling is unfortunate and the government will examine the judgement based which further course of action will depend.
"It is very unfortunate. The Government will examine the judgement in detail. Our intention is keep the judiciary independent. We have no intention to interfere in the judiciary. At the same time Judiciary should also be transparent," he said.

According to him, as many as 23 states had given consent for establishing the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) to recommend transfer of High Court judges and their elevation to the Supreme Court.