Lok Sabha Question No. 3251 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-10
Subject: Welfare of Labourers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: JAYSHREEBEN  PATEL

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3251

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH  AUGUST, 2015

## WELFARE OF LABOURERS

## 3251.  SHRIMATI JAYSHREEBEN PATEL:

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

- (a) the  laws  made  by  the  Government  to  protect  the  rights  of  labourers  and their employment in the country;
- (b) the reforms made in labour laws in order to promote industries and also to increase employment opportunities of labourers so far;
- (c) the  percentage  of  class  III  and  class  IV  labourers  recruited  in  various States; and
- (d) the  schemes being run to cover health of labourers under social security scheme?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI BANDARU DATTATREYA)

(a) to (d): There are various legislations to protect the interest of labourers. The salaries/wages  of  employees  covered  under  the  Minimum  Wages  Act,  1948, Payment  of  Wages  Act,  1936  and  Equal  Remuneration  Act,  1976  in  the companies are protected by the provisions of these Acts. Equal Remuneration Act,  1973  provides  for  payment  of  equal  remuneration  to  men  and  women workers for the same work or work of similar nature without any discrimination.    The  Factories  Act,  1948  and  The  Occupational  Safety  and Health Act, 2006 also has provisions for safety of workers in the factories.

In order to ensure social security to the workers in the unorganised sector, the Government has enacted the Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act, 2008.

The  second  National  Commission  on  Labour  had  recommended  that  the existing Labour Laws should be broadly grouped into four or five Labour Codes on functional basis. Accordingly, the Ministry has taken steps for drafting four Labour Codes on Wages, Industrial Relations, Social Security & Welfare: Safety & Working Conditions respectively, by simplifying, amalgamating and rationalizing the relevant provisions of the Central Labour Laws.

Government through the Budget Speech, 2015 announced three Social Security Schemes  pertaining  to  the  Insurance  and  Pension  Sectors,  namely  Pradhan Mantri  Jeevan  Jyoti  Bima  Yojana  (PMJJBY),  Pradhan  Mantri  Suraksha  Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) to move towards creating a universal social security system, focused especially at the poor and the underprivileged. The schemes provide essential and affordable social protection to all  citizens  in  a  convenient  manner  linked  to  auto-debit  facility  from  bank accounts. These schemes are expected to address the issue of low coverage of life and accident insurance and old age income security in the country.

The  percentage  of  Group  A,  B,  C  and  D  of  the  regular  Central  Government Employees as per Census of Central Government Employees (as on 31st March, 2011) brought out by Ministry of Labour & Employment is as under:

| Group of Posts   | As on 31st March, 2011   | As on 31st March, 2011   |
|------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|                  | No. of Employees         | % age to total           |
| A                | 93853                    | 3.04                     |
| B                | 380044                   | 12.31                    |
| C                | 2127752                  | 68.92                    |
| D                | 485629                   | 15.73                    |
| Total            | 3087278                  | 100.00                   |

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