Viewing to codify 44 central labour laws into 4 broad codes, Centre nods positive for Industrial Relations Code Bill

New Delhi, November 21: Prioritizing the third code under the labour reforms, the centre in its Cabinet meeting, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the Industrial Relation Code Bill, further wanting to codify 44 central labour laws into four broad codes.

 

While the Code on Wages has already been approved by Parliament, the Labour ministry is slated to push the Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Bill in the Budget session. The Code on Social Security is in pre-legislative stage.

 

 

This particular bill however provides for setting up of a two-member tribunal instead of one-member, thus introducing a concept that some of the important cases will be adjudicated jointly and the rest by a single-member resulting speedier disposal of cases.

 

"It provides for imparting flexibility to the exit provisions relating to retrenchment and others, for which the threshold for prior approval of appropriate government has been kept unchanged at 100 employees", the statement read adding that a provision for changing number of employees through executive order was also considered.

 

It also said that the re-skilling fund is to be utilised for crediting to workers in the manner to be prescribed. "The bill also provides for definition of Fixed Term Employment and that it would not lead to any notice period and payment of compensation on retrenchment excluded", it affirmed.

 

The draft code on Industrial Relations has been prepared after amalgamating, simplifying and rationalizing the relevant provisions of three Central Labour Acts -- the Trade Unions Act, 1926, the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, and the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.