Labour Ministry to push for 6 bills in Winter Session

It also expects to complete the process with regards to the Code on Industrial Relations and the Code on Wages

The Labour Ministry will push as many as six bills for passage in the upcoming winter session of Parliament starting next week to bring in another wave of reforms as part of government's efforts to improve ease of doing business.

The ministry is ready with four bills -- the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Bill, the Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Bill, the Small Factories (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Services) Bill and the Employees' Provident Fund & Miscellaneous Provisions Bill.

Besides, it expects to complete the process with regards to the Code on Industrial Relations and the Code on Wages.

"Today only I sent a note to Parliamentary Affairs Minister that I am going to introduce Bonus Amendment Bill in this session. And also Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act. These have been approved by the Cabinet," Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya told reporters here.

Other than this, the ministry is trying for two more bills. One is the Small Factories Bill, that is already with the Cabinet and the other is amendments to the EPF Act, he added.

"This (Small Factories Bill) we are waiting for Cabinet nod and then we will go for legislative process. Then I want to go for the EPF Amendment Act. It has to go for Cabinet's approval. The inter-ministerial consultations on the EPF bill is over. We have sent it to the Law Ministry," the Minister said.

On the Code on Wages, Dattatreya said: "Everything is prepared, we are going for Cabinet."

On Code on Industrial Relations, the Minister said that tripartite discussions are over and it has gone for vetting to the Law Ministry.

"Then it will go for Cabinet and then to Parliament. We can expect these two (Code on Wages and Industrial Relations) to also come in Parliament. We are ready with four bills and are preparing two more to be placed before Parliament in this session," Dattatreya added.

The government wants to rationalise labour laws and these laws are in the interest of workers and will protect their rights. "The purpose of this is employment generation and improve the ease of doing business," he explained.

Dattatreya expressed grief on the demise of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Ashok Singhal.