Par nod to bill to amend labour law

A bill which seeks to streamline labour laws by exempting large number of small establishments from furnishing returns and maintaining registers was today approved by Parliament, amid government's assurance that interests of unorganised workers would be protected.
The Labour Laws (Exemption from Furnishing Returns and Maintaining Registers by Certain Establishments) Amendment Bill, 2011 was approved by Lok Sabha after rejection of amendments moved by Saugata Roy (TMC). The bill was earlier passed by Rajya Sabha.
TMC, Congress and CPI-M opposed the bill.
Moving the bill for consideration and passage, Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya assured the House that the government is committed to protect the interests of unorganised workers.

He said his government would do everything to protect the rights of the workers, while pursuing reforms to create more employment opportunities.
The bill provides for changes in the original Act of 1988 to increase the number of laws under which small establishments are exempt from furnishing returns and maintaining registers from 9 to 16.
It amends the definition of 'small' establishments to cover units employing between 10 to 40 workers as against the limit of 19 workers at present.
The seven Acts that are added to the list include the Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961, the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979, and the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996.