Lok Sabha Question No. 2041 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-30
Subject: Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: ANJU BALA, Tejpratap Singh,Yadav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2041 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.07.2018

## INTER-STATE MIGRANT WORKMEN ACT, 1979

2041. SHRIMATI ANJU BALA: SHRI TEJ PRATAP SINGH YADAV:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)whether  the  Government  monitors  the  enforcement  of  the  Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)whether the Government also maintains a register for the migrant workers and if so, the number of such workers including unskilled and agricultural
- labourers in the country at present State/ UT-wise;
- (c)whether the Government has conducted any study in regard to the living standard, health and safety of these migrant workers;
- (d)if so, the details and the findings thereof along with the steps taken/being taken by the Government for the welfare of migrant workers; and
- (e)the other steps taken/being taken by the Government to check the trend of inter-State migration and for welfare of migrant workers/labourers in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

- (a) & (b): The Office of Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) monitors the enforcement of Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions  of  Service)  Act,  1979  in  the  Central  Sphere  through  regular inspections. In the State Sphere this is monitored by the State Government machinery.

The  Inter-State  Migrant  Workmen  (Regulation  of  Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 provides for registration of establishments  engaging  the  Inter-State  Migrant  workers.  No  register  for migrant workers is maintained at the Central level.

- (c) & (d): The Central Government has not conducted any study in regard to living standard, health and safety of migrant workers.

In  order  to  safeguard  the  interest  of  the  Migrant  workers  the Central Government has enacted the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Services) Act, 1979 which, inter alia, provides for payment of minimum wages, journey allowance, displacement allowance, residential  accommodation, medical facilities and protective  clothing  etc.  The  provisions  of  various  labour  laws  like  the Employees' Compensation Act, 1923, The Payment of Wages Act, 1936, The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, The Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948, The Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 and the Maternity  Benefit  Act  are  also  applicable  on  migrant  workers  working  in certain establishments. The Unorganized Workers' Social Security Act, 2008 has  also  been  enacted  to  provide  for  social  security  and  welfare  of unorganized workers including migrant workers.

(e): The  problems  of  migration/migrant  workers  is  sought  to  be addressed  through  a  multi  dimensional  course  of  action  through  rural development, provision of improved infrastructural facilities, equitable dispersal of resources to remove regional disparities, employment generation,  land  reforms,  increased  literacy,  financial  assistance  etc.  To prevent  migration  of  the  work  force  and  contain  them  near  their  native places, the  Government  has  enacted  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural Employment  Guarantee  Act,  2005  which  aims  at  enhancing  the  livelihood security  of  people  in  rural  areas  by  guaranteeing  hundred  days  of  wageemployment in a financial year to a rural household, whose adult members volunteer  to  do  unskilled  manual  work.  With  an  objective  to  generate  selfemployment  opportunities  in  rural  as  well  as  urban  areas,  as  well  as enhancing  the  Skills  of  Migrant  Workers  the  Ministry  of  Skill  Development and  Entrepreneurship  (MSDE)  is  implementing  various  skill  development schemes.  The  objective  of  these  schemes  is  to  enable  a  large  number  of Indian Youth to take up industry-relevant skill training that will help them in securing  a  better  livelihood.  Further,  under  the  Deen  Dayal  Antoyadaya Yojana  -National  Rural  livelihoods  Mission,  funding  and  training  through Rural Self Employment training Institutes is provided for entrepreneurship or self employment.  The  Ministry of Rural Development  (MoRD),  is also implementing a placement linked skill development program called the DDUGKY  -  Deen  Dayal  Upadhyaya  Grameen  Kaushalya  Yojana  for  providing migration  support  facilities  to  skilled  migrant  workers  in  the  country  by setting  up  Migration  Support  Centres.  The  Ministry  of  Rural  Development (MoRD)  provides  a  grant  of  Rs.10.00  lakhs  per  Migration  Support  Centre (MSC) per annum. The Code on Wages Bill has been introduced in the Lok Sabha, which once enacted will address the difference in minimum wages across states/ regions and sectors and will cover all workers in all sectors including migrant workers.

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