Why in news?
- J&K has proposed a uniform Employment Code, in its state budget.
- A similar code for the nation is worth consideration by the union government, to address concerns in the labour laws.
What does it aim for?
- The proposed Employment Code plans to consolidate all the labour laws in force in the State.
- It would set out the framework for terms of employment and service of all the workers.
- This is however, except the domestic workers and agricultural labour.
- The code would also provide for a strong, independent and separate labour judiciary.
- A single Employment Code will provide workers, employers, trade unions, labour authorities, etc all information at one place.
What are the existing concerns with labour laws?
- In India there are multiple labour laws at the national and state levels.
- It is primarily due to constitutional division of legislative powers.
- The multiplicity is also due to laws regulating workers in different sectors.
- There are also dissimilarities between state and union labour laws (Click here to know more on this).
- Concerns with applicability of these laws to service sector employees also exist.
- Currently most of them are using laws governing shops and establishment.
- Workers and at times employers are unable to decipher labour laws without legal help.
- India also retains some outdated pre-Independence era laws.
- These include the Fatal Accidents Act, 1855, Trade Unions Act, 1926, Payment of Wages Act, 1936 among others.
What is the way ahead?
- Provisions of all labour laws should be relooked in terms of fixing the archaic provisions instead of mechanically consolidating.
- Labour laws need to be formulated by taking the vision of ‘Ease of Living’ into consideration.
- The draft laws should be easy to understand, simple and clear, and reduce disputes relating to interpretation.
- Labour laws should balance the interests of different stakeholders such as workers, employers, trade unions and authorities.
Source: Business Standard
