01-02-2013, 09:44 AM
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON LABOUR
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INTRODUCTION
There is perhaps no Department or
Ministry that deals so exclusively with
human relations as the Labour
Ministry, and that too, largely by
persuasion and introspection rather
than coercion. It does have the
responsibility of enforcing laws that
relate to employment and industrial
relations, but its role in this field too
is not punitive, but one of vigil and
prosecution before a court of law.
It does not need many
arguments or adducing of evidence to
prove that the health of the economy
of the country, and consequently, the
daily life of the common people as
well as the elite depends upon
harmony in industrial relations. It is
difficult, therefore, to over-state the
importance of good industrial
relations. It is not often realized that
even the defence of the frontiers or
the internal security of the country
depends ultimately on a viable and
efficient economy, and this, in turn,
depends on industrial relations.
CHIEF LABOUR COMMISSIONER
(CENTRAL)
The Chief Labour
Commissioner’s organization has the
responsibility to enforce the Industrial
Disputes Act, 1948, the Payment of
Wages Act, 1936 and Rules in respect
of Mines, Railways and Air Transport
Services, the Minimum Wages Act,
1948, the Contract Labour (Regulation
and Abolition) Act, 1970, the Equal
Remuneration Act, 1976, the
Interstate Migrant Workmen (RE&CS)
Act, 1979, Payment of Bonus Act
1965, Child Labour (Prohibition and
Regulation) Act, 1986, Payment of
Gratuity Act, 1972, Labour Laws
(Exemption from furnishing and
maintaining registers by certain
establishments) Act, 1988, Building
and Other Construction Workers
(RE&CS) Act, 1996, Chapter VI(A) of
the Indian Railway Act and Hours of
Employment Regulations for Railway
Employees, Industrial Employment
(Standing Orders) Act, 1946, and the
Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 (Mines
and Circus Rules, 1963) for
organisations where the Central
Government is the appropriate
government.
SIMPLIFICATION OF REGISTERS
AND RETURNS
Many enactments require
maintenance of different registers,
display of different sets of notices and
submission of different returns. A
railway contractor, employing 20
workers, is required to maintain 2
dozen registers, display a dozen
notices, and submit 6 returns every
year. Though there is provision under
the Payment of Wages Act, Minimum
Wages Act and Contract Labour
(Regulation & Abolition) Act to
maintain combined registers with the
approval of the Chief Labour
Commissioner (Central), the process
has proved to be time-consuming and
cumbersome.