New labour laws to be implemented in J&K soon: Saurabh Bhagat

at 7:28 pm
Saurabh Bhagat
Commissioner Secretary, Labour & Employment Department, Saurabh Bhagat (File photo)

Jammu (NVI): The new labour laws will be implemented in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir soon and they will empower formal, informal workers, besides improving ease of doing business in the UT, Commissioner Secretary, Labour & Employment Department, Saurabh Bhagat said today.

The Commissioner Secretary chaired a meeting at Civil Secretariat to finalize the Jammu and Kashmir Rules for Labour Codes recently notified by Central Government.

During the meeting, Bhagat said that the codes have been drafted in a manner which will help in overall upliftment of the workforce in entire Jammu and Kashmir, according to a release.

Bhagat also mentioned that with the implementation of these codes, labour sector in the region would come at par with the rest of the country and will increase the wages among workforce in J&K.

He added that this will also improve ease of doing business in the Union Territory.

The Commissioner Secretary also informed that the codes would devolve more powers to implementing agencies to penalise private institutions and others job providers who underpay their workers and employees.

“The new codes also mandate gratuity even if a worker has been employed for one day only,” he said.

Bhagat further said that Jammu & Kashmir is first to formulate and notify these draft rules than rest of the country, adding that the UT has been given the powers to draft its own version of the national policy.

Pertinently, the Central Government has combined 29 existing labour laws and reorganised them into four codes which includes Code on Wages, 2019, Industrial Relations Code, 2020, Social Security Code, 2020 and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, the release said.

The highlights of these codes include fixation of a nationwide minimum wage by the Centre, bonus calculation and payment, payment of gratuity on pro rata basis, prohibition of lay-offs and social security for formal and informal workers.

-RJV