Working hours can be increased only by paying overtime, Centre tells parliamentary panel

Working hours can’t be elevated past eight hours a day with out paying for time beyond regulation as some states have tried to do by diluting the labour legal guidelines, prime officers of the Centre indicated to a parliamentary panel on Monday.

The prime brass of the Ministry of Labour and Employment on Monday briefed the parliamentary standing committee on labour, chaired by BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, on adjustments within the labour legal guidelines effected by state governments throughout lockdown and points confronted by migrant staff amid the pandemic.

About 9 states proposed to extend the working hours from eight to 12 by diluting the labour legal guidelines, however later rolled again the choice after going through flak from varied stakeholders, particularly the commerce unions.

The parliamentary panel on labour had written to numerous state governments searching for clarification for diluting the labour legal guidelines.

The panel members led by Mahtab questioned the central authorities officers about dilution in labour legal guidelines, particularly rising the working hours from eight to 12, a supply within the panel stated.

Responding to the panel, the labour ministry officers stated the adjustments tried by state governments should be in accordance with the proposed 4 labour codes. They stated since India is a signatory to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the nation can not transcend the stipulated eight hours, sources within the panel advised PTI.

The officers additionally knowledgeable the panel that if the working hours should be elevated, it must be carried out with the consent of staff and so they must be compensated with time beyond regulation or compensatory leaves, they stated.

The panel additionally questioned concerning the plight of migrant staff in the course of the lockdown, to which the officers conveyed that they’re widening the ambit of the definition of ‘migrant workers’.

The panel members additionally steered to incorporate self-employed individuals akin to hawkers, rickshaw-pullers and others within the definition of migrant staff, and that they need to get all these advantages which they’re entitled to of their native states.

The panel additionally steered to ease the circumstances for availing advantages of the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) and Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) in order that migrant staff can avail these advantages, sources stated.

ESI and EPF are self-financing and welfare scheme for staff. The members additionally pitched for elimination of the factors on minimal variety of workers and wages to avail these two social safety schemes, to which the officers responded positively, sources added.