The government of India has recently introduced a new labour law. The law is aimed at reforming the state’s industrial relations and its economic growth. The law is aimed at regulating the working conditions, wages and writes of workers in the state. The step is taken to forward the welfare of employees. But it also ignites a heated debate between industry leaders and worker unions.
Key Proposal And Changes In The Law
The Karnataka government has passed a new legislation that will going to affect several areas which is related to the workforce. One of the main changes that is done in the law is the simplification of various existing labour laws in the state. The draft of the new laws is currently under consideration and it would revise the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishment Act, 1961 and the rules which is associated with it. Here are the most notable changes that this amendment includes:
Increasing The Maximum daily work hours from 9 to 10. Majorly, the working hours are from 9 to 6, which is around 9 hours of work. But with this, there were chances that labourers needed to work for almost 12 hours. However, the state still follows the rule of 8-hour work. But it grants permission to the employers to increase the limit as per their preference.
With that, the government is also considering expanding the three-month overtime ceiling from 50 hours to 144 hours.
Who Will Benefit From The Law Amendment?
Information Technology and Information Technology-Enabled Services sectors will going to get benefit from this amendment. It is also going to help businesses operating software services, backend IT operations, hardware sales and similar services. It also helps employers to get more works from their labour worker if they wanted too.
Controversial Part Of The Law
The controversial part of this new labour Law is its impact on workers’ rights. The law may increase flexibility for employers, and also the revised work-hour regulations. These changes also have sparked significant debate, especially how it may might affect workers’ right and their job security. However, the law focuses on creating a more business-friendly environment. But with this, it also raised concerns about its impact on the informal workforce.
Many workers in industries like construction, agriculture or domestic work, their hiring is done informally without any kind of official contract or job security of jobs.
This formed the controversial opinion on the law and makes trade unions and activists argue that these workers might not be able to claim their benefits. This leaves a large chunk of the working population vulnerable to exploitation and unfair treatment.
Addressing the controversy, the government has responded and assured that it will closely going to monitor the implementation. The law has taken steps to protect workers from any unfair practices.
Next Step And Broader Expect
The State Labour Department has now begun consultations with industry and union representatives, but with strong opposition from worker groups. The proposal of this new law currently remains uncertain. It also generates the backlash in Karnataka, which highlights the tension between economic liberalisation and the protection of workers’ rights.
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