Implementation of Labour Laws in the Country

The Planning Commission had set up a Working Group on “Labour Laws & Other Labour Regulations” for the Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-17) under the Chairpersonship of Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment . Since the Working Group on “Labour Laws & Other Labour Regulations” had been set up by the Planning Commission for finalization of the Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-17), the report of the Working Group containing the recommendations has been submitted to the Planning Commission. The recommendations of the Working Group for improving enforcement of labour laws are as under:

Recommendations for Improving Enforcement of Labour Laws

Strengthening of enforcement machinery by way of increasing the manpower, improving infrastructure, etc. is essential for effective implementation of labour laws. At present the ratio of enforcement officer to industrial establishment is very low. Over the years the number of Acts, number of establishments and number of workers have increased manifold. The Working Group, therefore, suggests a complete review of the strength of the enforcement machinery. Creation of an All India Service for labour administration to provide professional experts in the field of labour administration, autonomous bodies and labour adjudications could help. This could be accompanied with well laid out institutional mechanisms for up gradation of skills, induction of greater professionalism, introduction of performance assessment parameters and well defined incentives and disincentives for officers dealing with enforcement of labour laws.

The Working Group also felt that proper enforcement of labour laws can be done through the vigil of trade unions. Collective bargaining process should increasingly be relied upon for resolution of labour disputes. Holding LokAdalats should also be encouraged to enable faster disposal of cases. A database should be built on all aspects relating to industrial relations and the officers of the Labour Departments should have access to such database through computer connectivity. The flow of statistics from the States to the Centre should also be streamlined, made more efficient and faster.

In addition to codification and simplification of Labour Laws it is also suggested for creating online single window system for making compliance as user friendly, simple and for bringing transparency. Employers can seek the registration, license etc. online and can also file returns etc. online.