PMO didn't ask to hasten labour reforms: Dattatreya

There is no direction from the Prime Minister's Office to hasten labour reforms and the issue will go through due process, taking into consideration trade unions' 12-points charter of demands, Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said today.
"There is no Prime Minister's Office direction to hasten labour reform. It is the 2nd Labour Commission which have given the recommendations. These (amendments to labour laws) are pending since long," Dattatreya told reporters here.
Soon, a meeting of the ministerial panel on labour issues, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, will be called where the unions' remaining "noteworthy" demands will be discussed, he informed.

The government had hinted on meeting workers' aspirations on nine out of 12 demands on September 2, when as many as 10 central trade unions went on a nationwide strike to protest against its unilateral labour law amendments and to press for their 12-points charter of demands.
After the strike, the trade unions and the ministerial panel on labour issues did not meet again.
Dattatreya further said, "I will separately meet the trade unions because there are worthy leftover demands. We will discuss with them and then come to a final conclusion."

On the draft legislations expected in Winter Session of Parliament, he said that Child Labour Amendment Bill, Employees' Provident Fund & Miscellaneous Provisions Bill and Payment of Bonus Bill would come.

"... If time permits we will bring in Code on Wages and Code on industrial relations. Once again we will go for consultation (on these bills) and then go to the Cabinet to proceed with these legislations," the Minister added.
About the speculations that government wants to speed up labour law amendments, the Minister said, "National labour reforms is in the process. It has to be done. Its motto is employment generation. In this context ease of doing business is one aspect and simplification of laws is another."
About the proper utilisation of construction sector workers' cess by states, he said, "There is around Rs 16,000 crore in construction workers' cess account. We have told the court that we will change the norms and bring in stricter norms for (utilisation of these funds) and soon send a circular to states regarding this. We are waiting for their (Supreme Court) direction on this.