MP brings in labour reforms amid crisis
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...to encouraging startups, a provision has been made for onetime registrations and the provision for renewal has been done away with
SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN , MP CM
BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday announced that the process of issuing registrations and licenses for factories, shops, etc will now be completed in a day as part of a series of labour reforms to increase industrial activities, job opportunities and to woo fresh investments and safeguard interests of labourers.
He called the announcement revolutionary. “Registrations/ licenses under the different labour laws will be issued in just one day. Earlier, this time was 30 days,” he said. “Under the Contract Labour Act, licenses will be issued for entire contract periods instead of just for calendar years. The process of issuing license will be online. With a view to encouraging startups, a provision has been made for one-time registrations and provision for renewal has been done away with.”
He said the duration of factory shifts has been increased from 8 hours to 12 hours in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. Chouhan added a provision has been made to maintain a single register instead of 61 registers under labour laws and filing of one return instead of 13 returns.
Chouhan announced that under the Factory Act, an exemption has been given to factories for their inspection for three months. “The employers will be allowed to have a third party inspection of factories by the inspectors of their choice. Establishments employing less than 50 workers have been excluded from inspections under various labour laws. Now inspections will be possible only with the permission of the labour commissioner and on the basis of complaints.”
Shops will also now remain open in the non-Covid-19 areas from 6 am to midnight. Earlier, they were allowed to remain open from 8 am to 10 pm daily.
Opposition Congress lawmaker Hiralal Alawa opposed the amendments saying they will give enough powers to factory owners to exploit the labourers at will as they will have no fear of any inspection or inquiry. “The amendments mean the labourers will be treated as bonded labourers and they will not be able to seek justice from the labour courts or it will take years for them to get justice given the complexities involved.”