New Delhi: The Centre on Monday introduced two bills in Lok Sabha — Occupational Safety, Health and Working (OSH) Bill and the Code on Wages Bill 2019 — which would together subsume 17 laws, even as the opposition repeatedly asked it to send them to standing committees for scrutiny, objecting to several provisions, claiming that they were anti- employee.
Labour minister Santosh Gangwar introduced the two bills in the lower house.
The OSH Code simplifies, amalgamates and rationalises the provisions of 13 central labour laws into a concise volume with certain important changes.
It would apply to all establishments having 10 or more workers, other than those relating to mines and docks.
Besides, it will expand the ambit of the provisions relating to working conditions of cine and theatre workers to include them in the digital audio-visual workers, encompassing all forms of electronic media.
The Code on Wages universalises the provisions of minimum wages and timely payment of wages to employees irrespective of the sector and wage ceiling.
At present, the provisions of both Minimum Wages Act and Payment of Wages Act apply on workers below a particular wage ceiling working in scheduled employments only.
