The national seminar held in New Delhi on November 7-8, 2002, discussed a proposed Unorganised Sector Workers Bill, 2002. The seminar was organised by the Union Labour Ministry through V.V Giri National Labour Institute, discussed the recommendation of the Second National Labour Commission on the unorganised sector workers. Inaugurated by KC Pant, Deputy Chairperson, Planning Commission, the seminar was presided by Union Labour Minister Sahib Singh Verma.
The two day seminar was also attended by labour ministers of Tamilnadu, Kerala and Karnataka, the Labour Secretary, Dr P D Shenoy, representative of state governments, employers, trade unions, Centre for Education & Communication and other NGOs working for the welfare of the unorganised workers.
Mr KC Pant, disclosed while inaugurating the Seminar that the Union Government has decided to create a pension system for the workers in the unorganised sector -who form 93 percent of the total work force of the country. He said that it would be useful to frame a perspective plan for social security coverage of all workers in the country with in a time frame of 15 to 20 years. The perspective plan, he said, should clearly identify the role of employers, workers and organisation, the central and state government. He advocated review of rules, regulation and procedures and called for expeditious removal of barriers that stifle the entrepreneurial urges of the workers in the unorganised sector. "Proper kinds of public investment and policy reforms will be able to unleash tremendous entrepreneurial energy in the rural sector, which will create opportunities not only to our farmers, but also in non-farm rural activities, he said.
Union Labour Minister Sahib Singh Verma presided over the meeting and said that the Draft Bill proposing to provide a Social Security Number (SSN) and a Social Security Card (SSC) to every person (identified as beneficiary) in the unorganised segment, would be introduced in parliament in the coming winter session. The Labour Minister said that policies regarding unorganised sector have to be designed within the framework of growth with a human face. He added that umbrella legislation for welfare of workers in the unorganised sector would be introduced during the budget session of the Parliament.
Speaking on the backdrop of the seminar, Mr W R Varada Rajan said that the central trade unions and the employers' organisation should be equally represented on the tripartite bodies relating to the unorganised sector and their participation should be ensured in the process of formulation and preparation of schemes. He added that a national minimum wage should be determined and any state level minimum wage should not be below that.
AITUC said that Social Security and welfare should be ensured to every worker and a central social security welfare board should be constituted for each group of workers in unorganised sector.
The bill proposes unorganised worker welfare measures on medical care, maternity benefits, old-age pension, gratuity, unemployment insurance, educational opportunities, assistance in case of death or injury, provident fund benefits, loans, sanitation, elimination of child labour, etc.
According to the bill, the working hours are defined as 9 hours in a day and 48 hours in a week. It further says that, "Every worker shall be entitled a weekly holiday, 8 days casual or sick leave in a year and 15 days earned leave." There is also a provision for the constitution of central fund and state fund, to which employers and contractor will have to contribute the fee imposed for the welfare of the workers. Mr SN Thakur of AITUC said that certain amount of cess should be levied on all sorts of production and trade for social security and welfare and there should no be exemptions in this regard to anyone.
The provisions in the bill, initially, would be applicable to 127 employments listed in the Schedule.