NEW
DELHI: As part of labour reforms, the government has amended three archaic laws to provide for doubling
of theovertime hours from
50 per quarter and enabling women to work in night shifts among other changes
which evoked sharp criticism from labour unions.
The
amendments to the Factories Act, the Apprentices
Act and the Labour Laws (exemption from furnishing returns and maintaining registers by certain
establishments) Act were approved by Cabinet last night.
The
Cabinet has given its approval (for the amendments). The amendments would be
beneficial for the labourers," Labour Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said
here today. "We expect that it will be tabled in the present session of
Parliament," he added.
Among
the changes made in the laws are relaxing of certain norms to enable women to
work in night shifts, doubling the provision of overtime from 50 hours per
quarter to 100 hours in some cases and from 75 hours to 125 hours in other work
of public interest and others.
According
to Minister of State Labour and Employment Vishnu Deo Sai, the amendment to the Factories Actwas
to make it more compatible to the requirement of the present scenario in
industrial sector. However, trade unions critisized the "hasty, employer-friendly
amendments" in the name of development and are likely to meet soon to
decide action programme against it.
"Under
the cover of so-called gender parity, the amendments said that women can work
in night shifts. We feel that in the Indian context, the time has not come for
us that we can leave our sisters and daughters so that they work in night
shifts. We are against that. Congenial atmosphere is still not there so as to
let women work the night shifts," said AITUC Secretary D L Sachdev.
Talking
about the provision for doubling the overtime hours from 50 per quarter, he
said that through this, more liberty is being given to the employer.
"While
AITUC is not opposed to simplification process per se in maintaining registers
and sending returns for each Act for small and medium enterprises, it opposes
increasing the ambit of such industries from 10 to 40 workers. It should have
been done gradually," he said.
On
Apprentice Act, no provision has been made for monitoring breach by provisions
of the employers, he said.
According
to an amendment proposed in the Apprentices Act, it will now not be compulsory
for an employer to absorb 50 per cent of the apprentices as permanent
employees.
Another
amendment to the Act will enable to add 500 new skills and vocations in the
industry, including those related to the IT sector. One of the amendments to
the Factories Act states that now employees can avail leave with pay after
completing 90 days in job. The earlier stipulation was 240 days.
