Page 2 - Labour Ministry

Gig workers' body seeks binding heatwave safeguards from Labour Ministry

IFAT urges binding protections including paid cooling breaks, water access, and emergency support for gig workers as extreme heat intensifies across India

Govt rejects industry demand for gratuity relief under labour codes

Labour ministry has declined industry demand for grandfathering in gratuity rules, citing lack of provision in the original labour codes passed by Parliament

Nites approaches labour ministry, seeks Posh compliance audit in TCS

IT sector employees' body NITES on Monday approached the Ministry of Labour and Employment seeking a detailed audit of POSH compliance in Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and batted for a wider state-level audit across tech and ITES companies, especially large multinational organisations in Maharashtra. The letter to labour ministry comes in the backdrop of charges of sexual harassment and allegations on forced religious conversion by eight female employees at TCS' office in Nashik -- an incident that has drawn sharp scrutiny and raised serious concerns. NITES urged the ministry to take "immediate and decisive action" by directing a comprehensive and time-bound audit and inspection. India's largest IT services company had, on Sunday, said the firm has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion of any form for a long time, confirming the suspension of employees allegedly involved in sexual harassment at its Nashik office. Nascent Information Technology Employees

Labour ministry taps influencers to promote pension scheme for workers

Labour ministry invites digital influencers to promote PM-SYM pension scheme, aiming to boost awareness and expand social security coverage among informal workers

Centre drafting insurance scheme for gig workers with life, accident cover

The labour ministry is drafting a social security scheme offering insurance and possible pension cover for gig workers under the Code on Social Security

Active job vacancies on govt job portal falls to 16-month low in Feb

The count of active jobs in February was the lowest since October 2024, when it was 14.12 lakh, according to the NCS performance dashboard

Labour Ministry to auto-refund small balances in inoperative EPFO accounts

Pilot to cover 7.11 lakh inoperative EPFO accounts with ₹1,000 or less; funds to be auto-credited to Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts without fresh claims

Govt publishes handbook on employer compliance under Labour Codes

Labour Ministry releases a handbook outlining 23 compliance actions for employers under the four Labour Codes, offering clarity ahead of final rules expected by the end of the fiscal year

Big outlays, small uptake: India's job schemes face a reality check

Despite large Budget allocations for PMIS and ELI, uptake remains low due to design issues, wage concerns and limited reach beyond big firms, prompting calls for a rethink

Govt to soon decide increased EPFO, ESIC wage ceilings: Mandaviya

The labour ministry will shortly decide on raising EPFO and ESIC wage ceilings, fixing a national floor wage and increasing the minimum pension under EPS, as it targets wider social security coverage

Budget 2026-27: 61% of labour ministry's record FY26 outlay unspent

Even as the labour ministry received its highest-ever allocation in Budget 2026-27, revised estimates show a majority of funds remained unutilised, largely due to low spending on central schemes

Labour Ministry sees highest filing of grievances in 2025, shows data

The Labour Ministry accounted for the highest share of grievances filed with the Centre in 2025 till November, driven mainly by EPFO-related complaints, according to DARPG data

EPFO may employ third-party agents to resolve member grievances, queries

EPFO may empanel 'Suvidha Providers' to help members resolve grievances for a small fee, with the proposal set for approval at the CBT meeting in February

10-minute delivery promise fades for consumers, riders see no change

Delivery workers say companies have not communicated any changes to timelines or incentives, even as quick-commerce platforms remove 10-minute delivery claims from consumer-facing apps

Govt urges qcom firms to drop '10-minute delivery' branding: Reports

Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reportedly held a series of meetings with quick-commerce companies and urged them to discontinue the branding associated with ultra-fast deliveries

Centre proposes 90 days work rule for gig workers to get social security

Centre pre-publishes draft labour rules, says gig workers must work 90 days a year to qualify for social security benefits; stakeholders can give feedback

SPREE 2025 extended till January 31 on employers, states' request

The labour ministry has extended the SPREE 2025 deadline to January 31, 2026 after requests from employers and state governments, keeping 'no past dues' and no inspections benefit

Centre notifies revised draft rules for labour codes, seeks responses

Revised draft rules for the four Labour Codes clarify key provisions such as gratuity on 'wages' and gig worker registration, with stakeholder inputs invited for up to 45 days

Labour Min's flagship employment scheme logs 235K registrations in 2025

The Labour Ministry said the PMVBRY portal recorded 235K establishment registrations in 2025, with incentives for first-time employees and employers for jobs created between 2025 and 2027

Parliament panel urges labour ministry to set up women's creches with NGOs

Noting that only Madhya Pradesh and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu had reported creche facilities on the central portal for women construction workers, a Parliamentary committee has recommended that the Ministry of Labour explore the feasibility of involving NGOs for opening creches for women. In a report titled Safety and protection of women in unorganised sector' tabled in Parliament, the Parliamentary Committee on Empowerment of Women, chaired by BJP MP D Purandeswari, also recommended extending the operating hours of the creches to match women's work schedules (8 hours), ensuring childcare aligns with employment needs. It also recommended a mandate of a fixed percentage of CSR funds for childcare and maternity support in the informal sector. According to the report, The Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, mandates comprehensive welfare measures for women construction workers. Th