Centre proposes bill to replace Coal Mines PF Act, boost worker welfare

The Ministry of Coal said the proposed bill takes into account recent developments in labour codes, digitalisation, social security, wages, and working conditions

After seven decades, coal miners in India may soon see their social security laws rewritten for the modern era. The Union Ministry of Coal on Wednesday invited comments on a new draft legislation aimed at strengthening social security and pensionary benefits for coal mine workers.

 

The draft, titled the Coal Mines Employees’ Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, 2025, seeks to replace the 77-year-old Coal Mines Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1948. The 1948 Act was enacted to provide a Provident Fund Scheme, Family Pension Scheme, and Deposit-Linked Insurance Scheme for workers employed in India’s coal mines.

 

The ministry said the proposed bill takes into account recent developments in areas such as dispute resolution, working conditions, social security, wage regulation, digitalisation, and the enactment of four labour codes in the recent past.

 

The four codes include the Code on Social Security 2020, the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020, the Industrial Relations Code 2020, and the Code on Wages 2019.

 

Changes in the proposed bill

The proposed bill seeks to replace the existing Board of Trustees with the Coal Mines Employees' Provident Fund Board. The ministry stated that the move will ensure a robust and accountable regulatory framework.

 

Furthermore, in a bid to promote gender inclusivity, the ministry has proposed that at least one woman must be a part of the six-member team representing employees. The new bill also includes provisions to ensure the timely realisation of provident fund dues.

 

It partially decriminalises certain penal provisions of the previous act, replacing imprisonment with monetary penalties, and proposes the appointment of adjudicating officers to determine and impose these penalties.