MCCI e- Knowledge Session on ‘Demystifying New Labour Codes’, held on 27.09.2022 on Zoom Platform
Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce & Industry organized an online edition of the MCCI Knowledge Session on Demystifying The New Labour Codes with Shri Parthasarathy Mishra, Board member of Amnaya Corporation US & Former CHRM, Tata Steel, OMQ (Ore, Mines and Quarry) division and Dr. Tapas K. Panda, CLS, Welfare Commissioner, Government of India, Bhubaneswar & Former Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Kolkata.
In this context, Shri Namit Bajoria, Vice President, MCCI in his Welcome Address said that in a historical move, 29 Labour laws had been codified into four new Labour codes dealing with Wages, Social Security, Industrial Relations and Occupational Safety. The revised provisions under the new Labour codes were expected to cause enormous impact on both organisations and their workforce. Industry therefore, need to comprehend how the new Labour codes would improve ease of doing business and what measures they need to take to align their practices to the changed laws.
Shri Parthasarathy Mishra in his address mentioned that the review of the 29 Labour Laws, drawn up in 1946, was first mooted in the tenure of Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee. In 2015, once again, the review was taken up largely because of the lack of clarity in the laws which created an excessive dependence on legal professionals and interpretation. As the laws had been organically added since 1946, there was a need to remove certain contradictions that existed and needed extensive interpretation. Shri Mishra mentioned that the move to bring workers of the unorganized sector within the social security net was a move that would have enormous impact.
Dr. Tapas K. Panda mentioned that the new Labour Codes have distinct requirements specific to the sector, the four distinct stakeholders of Employer, Employee, Establishment and Appropriate Government had now been clearly outlined with consistent definitions across the codes. He further added that this uniformity had been absent in the earlier 29 laws that had come into being organically and as the need arose. The Codes deal with the nebulous areas – for instance, what is and what is not Contract Labour, he mentioned. Prevention of pilferage of wage amounts or contractual labour has been addressed. He requested the entrepreneurs at MCCI and all entrepreneurs watching the programme to be alert regarding the laws especially in new business ventures and urged them to do their own research on the New Labour Codes. He felt that as employers, entrepreneurs would have to know the fundamental principles behind the New Labour Codes.
Shri Tushar Basu, Chairman, MCCI Council on Human Resource Development proposed the formal vote of thanks.
The informative discussion with implications for all in industry, will be available on the YouTube Channel : MCCIKol.
Source: MCCI Release
