The labor sector of our country faced increased exploitation at the hands of the contractors and thus were unable to safeguard their interests on their own.
Many a times, they were forced to work for long hours at ridiculously low rates, and had no power to raise their voice against such instances.
Hence, in order to ensure the payment of at least such amount of wages that makes them able to fulfill their necessities of life, Minimum Wages Act was enacted in 1948, provisions of which are represented in this particular presentation.
The National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector (NCEUS) was set up in 2004 by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government as an advisory body and a watchdog for the informal sector. This NCEUS report reviews labour laws and social security systems that apply to workers in the unorganised sector.
It observes that while existing laws have some provisions for conditions of work for certain workers, there is no comprehensive legal framework for the “basic and minimum conditions of work” for unorganised sector workers. Therefore, it proposes comprehensive and protective laws for agricultural and non-agricultural workers in the unorganised sector that will regulate conditions of work, social security, welfare and livehood promotion. Given the differences in the conditions of work for agricultural and non-agricultural workers, two bills are proposed.
The bills also incorporate a National Security Scheme for agricultural labourers and non-agricultural workers in the unorganised sector. In case of disputes over the implementation of the bills, the NCEUS recommends conciliation through resolution instead of bureaucractic and time-consuming legal procedures. The dispute resolution process may involve the participation of workers’ representatives or elected representatives of local bodies.