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Economic
Development Policy |
| LABOUR
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ACTION
In
pursuance of the above strategy, following steps would be taken on
priority:-
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Simpler
Labour Laws:
Soon after recommendations of the Second National
Commission on Labour (NCL) are received, action would be
taken to amend central laws, in their application to
Madhya Pradesh, to the extent necessary.
Review of (a) State Laws, and (b) of State Rules
framed under various Central and State laws would be
initiated right away, and their simplification/
rationalization would be completed quickly after receipt
of NCL’s recommendations.
Provisions pertaining to maintenance of registered
and filing of returns by the smaller units will, in
particular, be considered for further simplification.
Period
of renewal of licences under the Factories Act has already
been increased from one to five years.
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Effective
but hassle-free implementation of laws:
‘Abolition of Inspector Raj' has been a stated policy of
the State Government for quite some time now, and has been
implemented in the context of labour laws as well. However, multiplicity and the element of harassment in
inspections will be further eliminated.
At the same time, laws will be effectively
enforced.
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A
specially Facilitating Environment for the Thrust Areas:
The State is committed to according the highest priority
to sectors which are vital to its economic development,
e.g. Power, Communications, IT & Bio-technology.
Necessary relaxation/ adjustments will be
considered in the Labour laws as applicable to these
industries, so as to foster investment in them. Already,
IT establishments have been allowed 24 hours x 7 days
working. Also General Managers of DTICs and MDs of AKVNs
have been given powers under the provisions of the
Factories Act.
Special
Economic Zones
to be established in the state will have a similarly
facilitating labour-law environment so that these laws do
not come in the way of
SEZs to be established in the state shall also
enjoy a facilitating labour-law environment.
The
above amendments and adjustments will be made without
compromising on the basic guarantees, which the
Constitution provides to workers.
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Cushioning
Workers against Industrial Sickness: Appropriate measures would be taken to cushion workers
against hardship resulting from industrial sickness.
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Industrial
Health & Safety, and Service Delivery:
The importance of sound Industrial Health and
Safety (IHS) measures cannot be over- emphasized.
Outreach of IHS services, as also of the industrial
relations and labour adjudication services in the State
are at present inadequate.
These would be modernised, expanded and
strengthened to make them more effective.
Labour Department will move towards electronic/
on-line receipt, processing and disposal of various kinds
of applications of workers and employers.
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Rate
of industrial accidents in the State has been
declining over the last decade.
This trend would be maintained. |
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The
industrial Hygiene Laboratory will be strengthened
and its working decentralized.
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Healthcare
for workers:
Employees’ State Insurance Services in the State
need to be comprehensively reviewed.
The process has already begun with the State
Government recommending closure of ESI dispensaries at
certain centres where number of Insured Persons (IPs) has
declined considerably.
More such centres/ institutions will be identified
and at the same time, coverage of the scheme will be
expanded to cover new centres having substantial number of
workers. Standard
of ESI services will be improved and closely monitored,
cutting out wasteful expenditure. |
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Procedure
for payment of advances and reimbursements to IPs
has already been streamlined with the
establishment of a ‘Revolving Fund’ and
greater delegation of sanctioning powers, in July/
September, 2001.
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Employers
and trade unions would be encouraged to actively
promote the small family norm among workers.
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Productivity:
The State will encourage employers, trade unions
and the State Labour Welfare Board to promote labour
productivity, inter-alia, through provision of suitable
incentives for higher productivity, based on agreement of
all concerned.
Madhya
Pradesh is already among the best in the country in the
matter of industrial peace. Efforts would be made
to earn for it a similar pride of place in terms of
productivity.
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The
Unorganised Sector, Women workers and Children:
The government has set up a Task Force in July, 2001, for
recommending ways to improve the lot of the workers in the
unorganised sector. Recommendations
of the Task Force will be processed and implemented on
priority. The
Task Force would look closely at the idea of establishing
a Welfare Fund and a Welfare Board for workers in the
unorganised sector who are not otherwise covered.
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Rules
under the Building and Other Construction Workers
(Regulation of Employment & Conditions of Service) Act
will be framed and a Welfare Board for these workers will
be set up as soon as possible.
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Existing
insurance and social security schemes for the unorganised
sector will be implemented vigorously.
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The
State will come down with a heavy hand on violations of
laws relating to bonded labour, child labour, minimum
wages and gender discrimination.
District and Sub-divisional level Vigilance
Committees will be activated towards this end.
Every effort will be made to eliminate child labour
from hazardous industries and occupations by 2005, as
nationally envisaged.
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Co-operatives
and Self-help Groups of workers of the unorganised sector
will be actively promoted to improve their economic
condition and bargaining power.
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Beedee
Workers:
Implementation of welfare schemes for Beedee workers
presently rests with the Central Government whose field
machinery for the purpose is inadequate and has little
local accountability.
Central Government has therefore been requested to
transfer these schemes, along with the Beedee Workers’
welfare cess collected from MP, to the State Government.
This matter would be actively pursued.
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Tripartite
Dialogue:
The State is fully committed to the idea of
sustained and meaningful tripartite dialogue among all
social partners, viz. The workers, employers, and
government for mutual benefit.
Tripartite bodies would be made more active.
Also, they would cease to be mere forums for
ventilating grievances against each other, and would be
encouraged to play their rightful role in charting
successful strategies for the State’s economic
development.
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Academic
Resource Support:
Collection and analysis of data, and activities like
training, research, evaluation etc. are vital for
formulation and implementation of sound programmes and
interventions in any area. Unfortunately, these have not
received due attention.
This lacuna would now be rectified and adequate
academic resource support for the Labour sector ensured.
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Financial
Resources:
Financial resources for carrying out the intentions of
this policy would be found as far as possible internally,
i.e. from the State and Central budget, by levying
appropriate user charges, and through various welfare
funds. These may however, be augmented, to the extent
necessary and feasible, with external assistance obtained
in consonance with national and state policies.
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FUNDAMENTAL
RIGHTS
&
DIRECTIVE
PRINCIPLES OF STATE POLICY CONCERNING LABOUR MATTERS
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RIGHT
TO FREEDOM
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Art.
19: Protection of certain rights regarding freedom of speech, etc:
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1. |
All
citizens shall have the right –
(c)
to form associations or unions; |
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RIGHT
AGAINST EXPLOITATION
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Art.
23: Prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour:-
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Traffic
in human beings and begar and other forms of forced labour
are prohibited and any contravention of this provision
shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law. |
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Art.
24: Prohibition of employment of children in factories, etc.:-
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No
child below the age of fourteen years shall be employed to
work in any factory or mine or engaged in any other
hazardous occupation |
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DIRECTIVE
PRINCIPLES
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Art.
39: Certain principles of policy to be followed by the State:
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State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards
securing – |
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(a) |
that
the citizens, men and women equally, have the right to an
adequate means of livelihood; |
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that
there is equal pay for
equal work for both men and women |
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that
the health and strength of workers, men and women and the
tender age of children are not abused and that citizens
are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations
unsuited to their age or strength; |
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that
children are given opportunities and facilities to develop
in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and
dignity and that childhood and youth are protected against
exploitation and against moral and material abandonment. |
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Art.
41: Right to work, to education and to public assistance in
certain cases:
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The
State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity
and development, make effective provision for securing the
right to work, to education and to public assistance in
cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement,
and in other cases of undeserved want. |
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Art.
42: Provision for just and humane conditions of work and maternity
relief:
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The
State shall make provision for securing just and humane
conditions of work and for maternity relief. |
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Art.
43: Living wage, etc., for workers:
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The
State shall endeavour to secure, by suitable legislation
or economic organization or in any other way, to all
workers, agricultural, industrial or otherwise, work, a
living wage, conditions of work ensuring a decent standard
of life and full enjoyment of leisure and social and
cultural opportunities. |
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Art.
43A: Participation of workers in management of industries:
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The
State shall take steps, by suitable legislation or in any
other way, to secure the participation of workers in the
management of undertakings, establishments or other
organisations engaged in any industry. |
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