Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government knows very well that in order to comply with the government’s call for foreign investors to build factories in the country and build it as an export center for various products, it is also necessary to keep in mind the improvement of the standard of living of the workers. Launching several PLI schemes to boost industry, encouraging foreign companies including Apple, Foxconn, Samsung to set up factories in the country, and determined to ensure that the interests of the large number of workers needed to implement the call to export manufactured goods abroad are not compromised. Govt.
India is going to host the meeting of the G20 group of countries next year. This is the first time that the country is going to act as the host of this session. Before that, the Union Labor Ministry wants to review the basic issues related to employment. The Center wants to discuss the shortage of skilled workers in the international market, gig and platform economy, continuous funding for social security schemes and other issues in the meeting. Union Labor and Employment Minister Bhupinder Yadav told news agency PTI, “Our main goal is to bring more unorganized sector workers under the social security scheme by 2023. All the benefits will be provided online. We want the ministry to make all jobs paperless.”
Four major labor laws—social protection, wages, industrial relations and health protection at workplaces and maintaining a decent environment—have already been passed by Parliament. But, it will come into effect only after the Center and the States issue guidelines on the respective rules. Although the Center has formulated the rules, several states are yet to complete the process of making the rules. As many as 31 States and Union Territories have issued draft guidelines on the 2019 Code on Wages. 28 states have issued draft guidelines on Industrial Relations Code (2020) and Social Security Rules. 26 states have issued draft guidelines on the 2020 Occupational Health Safety and Working Conditions Code.
The Center has already started working hand in hand with the states to implement the four labor laws. Among them, bringing unorganized sector workers under the social security system is the main theme of the government. To implement this rule, the Center may bring under social security scheme the unorganized sector workers, gig workers and platform workers and their family members through the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation or, Employees Provident Fund Organization.
Apart from this, there is also the issue of respecting the judgment of the Supreme Court (Supreme Court) on the Employees’ Pension Scheme of 1995. In this context, the minister said, “We are examining the judgment of the Supreme Court.” Incidentally, last month the Supreme Court ruled in favor of giving enhanced pension to the employees. It is directed to be implemented within four months.