Labour Laws Applicable to Casual and Self Employed Work Force

Reliable estimates of employment and unemployment are obtained through quinquennial labour force surveys conducted by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). Last such quinquennial labour force survey was conducted during 2009-10. As per results of the most recent survey, 15.6 per cent, 33.5 per cent and 51.0 per cent of the total work force on usual status basis was found to be engaged in regular wage/salaried work, casual labour and self employment respectively during 2009-10.

The Central labour laws applicable for the casual labour in the country are broadly The Minimum Wages Act, 1948, The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979, The Contract Labour (Regulation and abolition) Act, 1970, The Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966 and The Unorganized Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008.