The labour ministry has been asked to speed up the passage of worker-friendly legislation and put on hold or slow down any laws that could be perceived to be against the interests of the country’s 500 million-strong labour force, ahead of general elections that are a year away.
Reforms that could be fast-tracked include labour codes on wages, universal social security and those on occupational safety, health and working conditions at commercial establishments, said a top government official.
However, work on the controversial code on industrial relations, parts of which make it easier to fire workers and was drafted in 2015, is unlikely to move forward despite the original bill having being toned down to reassure workers.
The government is betting on opposition parties being amenable to legislation that’s worker-friendly. These bills are likely to be introduced in Parliament in quick succession “as the government thinks no political party is likely to oppose labour-related legislation in an election year,” said the official.
Source: Economic Times
