Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
$message = 'The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
$stackFrame = (int) 1
$trace = [
	(int) 0 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/ServerRequest.php',
		'line' => (int) 2421,
		'function' => 'deprecationWarning',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => 'The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead.'
		]
	],
	(int) 1 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php',
		'line' => (int) 73,
		'function' => 'offsetGet',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\ServerRequest',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => 'catslug'
		]
	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Controller/Controller.php',
		'line' => (int) 610,
		'function' => 'printArticle',
		'class' => 'App\Controller\ArtileDetailController',
		'object' => object(App\Controller\ArtileDetailController) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => []
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php',
		'line' => (int) 120,
		'function' => 'invokeAction',
		'class' => 'Cake\Controller\Controller',
		'object' => object(App\Controller\ArtileDetailController) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => []
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php',
		'line' => (int) 94,
		'function' => '_invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(App\Controller\ArtileDetailController) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/BaseApplication.php',
		'line' => (int) 235,
		'function' => 'dispatch',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 65,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\BaseApplication',
		'object' => object(App\Application) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php',
		'line' => (int) 162,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 65,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware',
		'object' => object(Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php',
		'line' => (int) 88,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 65,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware',
		'object' => object(Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php',
		'line' => (int) 96,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 65,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware',
		'object' => object(Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 51,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Server.php',
		'line' => (int) 98,
		'function' => 'run',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\MiddlewareQueue) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/webroot/index.php',
		'line' => (int) 39,
		'function' => 'run',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Server',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Server) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => []
	]
]
$frame = [
	'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php',
	'line' => (int) 73,
	'function' => 'offsetGet',
	'class' => 'Cake\Http\ServerRequest',
	'object' => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {
		trustProxy => false
		[protected] params => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] data => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] query => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] cookies => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] _environment => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] url => 'latest-news-updates/the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need-kr-shyam-sundar-4673522/print'
		[protected] base => ''
		[protected] webroot => '/'
		[protected] here => '/latest-news-updates/the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need-kr-shyam-sundar-4673522/print'
		[protected] trustedProxies => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] _input => null
		[protected] _detectors => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] _detectorCache => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] stream => object(Zend\Diactoros\PhpInputStream) {}
		[protected] uri => object(Zend\Diactoros\Uri) {}
		[protected] session => object(Cake\Http\Session) {}
		[protected] attributes => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] emulatedAttributes => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] uploadedFiles => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] protocol => null
		[protected] requestTarget => null
		[private] deprecatedProperties => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
	},
	'type' => '->',
	'args' => [
		(int) 0 => 'catslug'
	]
]
deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 73
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
$message = 'The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
$stackFrame = (int) 1
$trace = [
	(int) 0 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/ServerRequest.php',
		'line' => (int) 2421,
		'function' => 'deprecationWarning',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => 'The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead.'
		]
	],
	(int) 1 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php',
		'line' => (int) 74,
		'function' => 'offsetGet',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\ServerRequest',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => 'artileslug'
		]
	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Controller/Controller.php',
		'line' => (int) 610,
		'function' => 'printArticle',
		'class' => 'App\Controller\ArtileDetailController',
		'object' => object(App\Controller\ArtileDetailController) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => []
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php',
		'line' => (int) 120,
		'function' => 'invokeAction',
		'class' => 'Cake\Controller\Controller',
		'object' => object(App\Controller\ArtileDetailController) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => []
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php',
		'line' => (int) 94,
		'function' => '_invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(App\Controller\ArtileDetailController) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/BaseApplication.php',
		'line' => (int) 235,
		'function' => 'dispatch',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 65,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\BaseApplication',
		'object' => object(App\Application) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php',
		'line' => (int) 162,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 65,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware',
		'object' => object(Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php',
		'line' => (int) 88,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 65,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware',
		'object' => object(Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php',
		'line' => (int) 96,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 65,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware',
		'object' => object(Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 51,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Server.php',
		'line' => (int) 98,
		'function' => 'run',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\MiddlewareQueue) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/webroot/index.php',
		'line' => (int) 39,
		'function' => 'run',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Server',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Server) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => []
	]
]
$frame = [
	'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php',
	'line' => (int) 74,
	'function' => 'offsetGet',
	'class' => 'Cake\Http\ServerRequest',
	'object' => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {
		trustProxy => false
		[protected] params => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] data => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] query => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] cookies => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] _environment => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] url => 'latest-news-updates/the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need-kr-shyam-sundar-4673522/print'
		[protected] base => ''
		[protected] webroot => '/'
		[protected] here => '/latest-news-updates/the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need-kr-shyam-sundar-4673522/print'
		[protected] trustedProxies => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] _input => null
		[protected] _detectors => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] _detectorCache => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] stream => object(Zend\Diactoros\PhpInputStream) {}
		[protected] uri => object(Zend\Diactoros\Uri) {}
		[protected] session => object(Cake\Http\Session) {}
		[protected] attributes => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] emulatedAttributes => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] uploadedFiles => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] protocol => null
		[protected] requestTarget => null
		[private] deprecatedProperties => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
	},
	'type' => '->',
	'args' => [
		(int) 0 => 'artileslug'
	]
]
deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 74
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Code Context
            if (Configure::read('debug')) {

                trigger_error($message, E_USER_WARNING);

            } else {
$response = object(Cake\Http\Response) {

	'status' => (int) 200,
	'contentType' => 'text/html',
	'headers' => [
		'Content-Type' => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
	],
	'file' => null,
	'fileRange' => [],
	'cookies' => object(Cake\Http\Cookie\CookieCollection) {},
	'cacheDirectives' => [],
	'body' => '<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN"
        "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
    <link rel="canonical" href="https://im4change.in/<pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Notice</b> (8)</a>: Undefined variable: urlPrefix [<b>APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp</b>, line <b>8</b>]<div id="cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-code" class="cake-code-dump" style="display: none;"><code><span style="color: #000000"><span style="color: #0000BB"></span><span style="color: #007700">&lt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">head</span><span style="color: #007700">&gt;
</span></span></code>
<span class="code-highlight"><code><span style="color: #000000">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&lt;link&nbsp;rel="canonical"&nbsp;href="<span style="color: #0000BB">&lt;?php&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #007700">echo&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">Configure</span><span style="color: #007700">::</span><span style="color: #0000BB">read</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #DD0000">'SITE_URL'</span><span style="color: #007700">);&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">?&gt;&lt;?php&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #007700">echo&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$urlPrefix</span><span style="color: #007700">;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">?&gt;&lt;?php&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #007700">echo&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$article_current</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">category</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">slug</span><span style="color: #007700">;&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">?&gt;</span>/<span style="color: #0000BB">&lt;?php&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #007700">echo&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$article_current</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">seo_url</span><span style="color: #007700">;&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">?&gt;</span>.html"/&gt;
</span></code></span>
<code><span style="color: #000000"><span style="color: #0000BB">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #007700">&lt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">meta&nbsp;http</span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000BB">equiv</span><span style="color: #007700">=</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"Content-Type"&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">content</span><span style="color: #007700">=</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"text/html;&nbsp;charset=utf-8"</span><span style="color: #007700">/&gt;
</span></span></code></pre><pre id="cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$viewFile = &#039;/home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp&#039;
$dataForView = [
	&#039;article_current&#039; =&gt; object(App\Model\Entity\Article) {

		&#039;id&#039; =&gt; (int) 25488,
		&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar&#039;,
		&#039;subheading&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
		&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
-The Hindu Business Line
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an &amp;quot;advisory&amp;quot; to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the &amp;lsquo;decent work&#039; agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The pursuit of some &amp;quot;good&amp;quot; reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;An inclusive view&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The use of &amp;quot;thresholds&amp;quot; such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of &amp;quot;minimum wages&amp;quot; in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Smartening inspection systems&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years!
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than ₹1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (₹1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
		&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;The Hindu Business Line, 22 July, 2014, http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need/article6238397.ece?homepage=true&#039;,
		&#039;article_img&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
		&#039;article_img_thumb&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
		&#039;status&#039; =&gt; (int) 1,
		&#039;show_on_home&#039; =&gt; (int) 1,
		&#039;lang&#039; =&gt; &#039;EN&#039;,
		&#039;category_id&#039; =&gt; (int) 16,
		&#039;tag_keyword&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
		&#039;seo_url&#039; =&gt; &#039;the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need-kr-shyam-sundar-4673522&#039;,
		&#039;meta_title&#039; =&gt; null,
		&#039;meta_keywords&#039; =&gt; null,
		&#039;meta_description&#039; =&gt; null,
		&#039;noindex&#039; =&gt; (int) 0,
		&#039;publish_date&#039; =&gt; object(Cake\I18n\FrozenDate) {},
		&#039;most_visit_section_id&#039; =&gt; null,
		&#039;article_big_img&#039; =&gt; null,
		&#039;liveid&#039; =&gt; (int) 4673522,
		&#039;created&#039; =&gt; object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		&#039;modified&#039; =&gt; object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		&#039;edate&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
		&#039;tags&#039; =&gt; [
			[maximum depth reached]
		],
		&#039;category&#039; =&gt; object(App\Model\Entity\Category) {},
		&#039;[new]&#039; =&gt; false,
		&#039;[accessible]&#039; =&gt; [
			[maximum depth reached]
		],
		&#039;[dirty]&#039; =&gt; [[maximum depth reached]],
		&#039;[original]&#039; =&gt; [[maximum depth reached]],
		&#039;[virtual]&#039; =&gt; [[maximum depth reached]],
		&#039;[hasErrors]&#039; =&gt; false,
		&#039;[errors]&#039; =&gt; [[maximum depth reached]],
		&#039;[invalid]&#039; =&gt; [[maximum depth reached]],
		&#039;[repository]&#039; =&gt; &#039;Articles&#039;
	
	},
	&#039;articleid&#039; =&gt; (int) 25488,
	&#039;metaTitle&#039; =&gt; &#039;LATEST NEWS UPDATES | The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar&#039;,
	&#039;metaKeywords&#039; =&gt; &#039;labour laws,Labour Laws Reforms,Labour Reforms,Labour,Labour Rights&#039;,
	&#039;metaDesc&#039; =&gt; &#039;
-The Hindu Business Line



The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened


The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.


The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-The Hindu Business Line&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an &amp;quot;advisory&amp;quot; to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the &amp;lsquo;decent work&#039; agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The pursuit of some &amp;quot;good&amp;quot; reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;An inclusive view&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The use of &amp;quot;thresholds&amp;quot; such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of &amp;quot;minimum wages&amp;quot; in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Smartening inspection systems&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than 1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
	&#039;lang&#039; =&gt; &#039;English&#039;,
	&#039;SITE_URL&#039; =&gt; &#039;https://im4change.in/&#039;,
	&#039;site_title&#039; =&gt; &#039;im4change&#039;,
	&#039;adminprix&#039; =&gt; &#039;admin&#039;
]
$article_current = object(App\Model\Entity\Article) {

	&#039;id&#039; =&gt; (int) 25488,
	&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar&#039;,
	&#039;subheading&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
-The Hindu Business Line
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an &amp;quot;advisory&amp;quot; to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the &amp;lsquo;decent work&#039; agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The pursuit of some &amp;quot;good&amp;quot; reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;An inclusive view&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The use of &amp;quot;thresholds&amp;quot; such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of &amp;quot;minimum wages&amp;quot; in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Smartening inspection systems&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years!
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than ₹1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (₹1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
	&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;The Hindu Business Line, 22 July, 2014, http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need/article6238397.ece?homepage=true&#039;,
	&#039;article_img&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;article_img_thumb&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;status&#039; =&gt; (int) 1,
	&#039;show_on_home&#039; =&gt; (int) 1,
	&#039;lang&#039; =&gt; &#039;EN&#039;,
	&#039;category_id&#039; =&gt; (int) 16,
	&#039;tag_keyword&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;seo_url&#039; =&gt; &#039;the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need-kr-shyam-sundar-4673522&#039;,
	&#039;meta_title&#039; =&gt; null,
	&#039;meta_keywords&#039; =&gt; null,
	&#039;meta_description&#039; =&gt; null,
	&#039;noindex&#039; =&gt; (int) 0,
	&#039;publish_date&#039; =&gt; object(Cake\I18n\FrozenDate) {},
	&#039;most_visit_section_id&#039; =&gt; null,
	&#039;article_big_img&#039; =&gt; null,
	&#039;liveid&#039; =&gt; (int) 4673522,
	&#039;created&#039; =&gt; object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
	&#039;modified&#039; =&gt; object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
	&#039;edate&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;tags&#039; =&gt; [
		(int) 0 =&gt; object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {},
		(int) 1 =&gt; object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {},
		(int) 2 =&gt; object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {},
		(int) 3 =&gt; object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {},
		(int) 4 =&gt; object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {}
	],
	&#039;category&#039; =&gt; object(App\Model\Entity\Category) {},
	&#039;[new]&#039; =&gt; false,
	&#039;[accessible]&#039; =&gt; [
		&#039;*&#039; =&gt; true,
		&#039;id&#039; =&gt; false
	],
	&#039;[dirty]&#039; =&gt; [],
	&#039;[original]&#039; =&gt; [],
	&#039;[virtual]&#039; =&gt; [],
	&#039;[hasErrors]&#039; =&gt; false,
	&#039;[errors]&#039; =&gt; [],
	&#039;[invalid]&#039; =&gt; [],
	&#039;[repository]&#039; =&gt; &#039;Articles&#039;

}
$articleid = (int) 25488
$metaTitle = &#039;LATEST NEWS UPDATES | The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar&#039;
$metaKeywords = &#039;labour laws,Labour Laws Reforms,Labour Reforms,Labour,Labour Rights&#039;
$metaDesc = &#039;
-The Hindu Business Line



The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened


The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.


The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-The Hindu Business Line&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an &amp;quot;advisory&amp;quot; to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the &amp;lsquo;decent work&#039; agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The pursuit of some &amp;quot;good&amp;quot; reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;An inclusive view&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The use of &amp;quot;thresholds&amp;quot; such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of &amp;quot;minimum wages&amp;quot; in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Smartening inspection systems&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than 1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;
$lang = &#039;English&#039;
$SITE_URL = &#039;https://im4change.in/&#039;
$site_title = &#039;im4change&#039;
$adminprix = &#039;admin&#039;</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp, line 8
Cake\View\View::_evaluate() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1413
Cake\View\View::_render() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1374
Cake\View\View::renderLayout() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 927
Cake\View\View::render() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 885
Cake\Controller\Controller::render() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 791
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 126
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51</pre></div></pre>latest-news-updates/the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need-kr-shyam-sundar-4673522.html"/>
    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"/>
    <link href="https://im4change.in/css/control.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"
          media="all"/>
    <title>LATEST NEWS UPDATES | The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar | Im4change.org</title>
    <meta name="description" content="
-The Hindu Business Line



The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened


The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.


The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend..."/>
    <script src="https://im4change.in/js/jquery-1.10.2.js"></script>
    <script type="text/javascript" src="https://im4change.in/js/jquery-migrate.min.js"></script>
    <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">

        $(document).ready(function () {
            var img = $("img")[0]; // Get my img elem
            var pic_real_width, pic_real_height;
            $("<img/>") // Make in memory copy of image to avoid css issues
                .attr("src", $(img).attr("src"))
                .load(function () {
                    pic_real_width = this.width;   // Note: $(this).width() will not
                    pic_real_height = this.height; // work for in memory images.
                });
        });
    </script>
    <style type="text/css">
        @media screen {
            div.divFooter {
                display: block;
            }
        }

        @media print {
            .printbutton {
                display: none !important;
            }
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="98%" align="center">
    <tr>
        <td class="top_bg">
            <div class="divFooter">
                <img src="https://im4change.in/images/logo1.jpg" height="59" border="0"
                     alt="Resource centre on India's rural distress" style="padding-top:14px;"/>
            </div>

        </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td id="topspace">&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>

    <tr id="topspace">
        <td>&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td height="50" style="border-bottom:1px solid #000; padding-top:10px;" class="printbutton">
            <form><input type="button" value=" Print this page "
                         onclick="window.print();return false;"/></form>
        </td>
    </tr>

    <tr>
        <td width="100%">
            <h1 class="news_headlines" style="font-style:normal">
                <strong>The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar</strong></h1>
        </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td width="100%" style="font-family:Arial, 'Segoe Script', 'Segoe UI', sans-serif, serif"><font size="3">
                <div align="justify">-The Hindu Business Line</div><p align="justify"><br /><em>The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened</em></p><p align="justify">The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.</p><p align="justify">The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an &quot;advisory&quot; to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection.</p><p align="justify">Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the &lsquo;decent work' agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces.</p><p align="justify">The pursuit of some &quot;good&quot; reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems.</p><p align="justify"><em>An inclusive view</em></p><p align="justify">The use of &quot;thresholds&quot; such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards.</p><p align="justify">India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative.</p><p align="justify">The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated.</p><p align="justify">The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of &quot;minimum wages&quot; in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance.</p><p align="justify"><em>Smartening inspection systems</em></p><p align="justify">The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years!</p><p align="justify">Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than 1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked.</p><p align="justify">Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce.</p><p align="justify"><em>The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur</em></p>               </font>
        </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>

    <tr>
        <td height="50" style="border-top:1px solid #000; border-bottom:1px solid #000;padding-top:10px;">
            <form><input type="button" value=" Print this page "
                         onclick="window.print();return false;"/></form>
        </td>
    </tr>
</table></body>
</html>'

}
$maxBufferLength = (int) 8192
$file = '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php'
$line = (int) 853
$message = 'Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853'
Cake\Http\ResponseEmitter::emit() - CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48
Cake\Http\Server::emit() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 141
[main] - ROOT/webroot/index.php, line 39

Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Code Context
            $response->getStatusCode(),

            ($reasonPhrase ? ' ' . $reasonPhrase : '')

        ));
$response = object(Cake\Http\Response) {

	'status' => (int) 200,
	'contentType' => 'text/html',
	'headers' => [
		'Content-Type' => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
	],
	'file' => null,
	'fileRange' => [],
	'cookies' => object(Cake\Http\Cookie\CookieCollection) {},
	'cacheDirectives' => [],
	'body' => '<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN"
        "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
    <link rel="canonical" href="https://im4change.in/<pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Notice</b> (8)</a>: Undefined variable: urlPrefix [<b>APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp</b>, line <b>8</b>]<div id="cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-code" class="cake-code-dump" style="display: none;"><code><span style="color: #000000"><span style="color: #0000BB"></span><span style="color: #007700">&lt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">head</span><span style="color: #007700">&gt;
</span></span></code>
<span class="code-highlight"><code><span style="color: #000000">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&lt;link&nbsp;rel="canonical"&nbsp;href="<span style="color: #0000BB">&lt;?php&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #007700">echo&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">Configure</span><span style="color: #007700">::</span><span style="color: #0000BB">read</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #DD0000">'SITE_URL'</span><span style="color: #007700">);&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">?&gt;&lt;?php&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #007700">echo&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$urlPrefix</span><span style="color: #007700">;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">?&gt;&lt;?php&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #007700">echo&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$article_current</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">category</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">slug</span><span style="color: #007700">;&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">?&gt;</span>/<span style="color: #0000BB">&lt;?php&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #007700">echo&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$article_current</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">seo_url</span><span style="color: #007700">;&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">?&gt;</span>.html"/&gt;
</span></code></span>
<code><span style="color: #000000"><span style="color: #0000BB">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #007700">&lt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">meta&nbsp;http</span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000BB">equiv</span><span style="color: #007700">=</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"Content-Type"&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">content</span><span style="color: #007700">=</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"text/html;&nbsp;charset=utf-8"</span><span style="color: #007700">/&gt;
</span></span></code></pre><pre id="cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$viewFile = &#039;/home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp&#039;
$dataForView = [
	&#039;article_current&#039; =&gt; object(App\Model\Entity\Article) {

		&#039;id&#039; =&gt; (int) 25488,
		&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar&#039;,
		&#039;subheading&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
		&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
-The Hindu Business Line
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an &amp;quot;advisory&amp;quot; to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the &amp;lsquo;decent work&#039; agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The pursuit of some &amp;quot;good&amp;quot; reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;An inclusive view&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The use of &amp;quot;thresholds&amp;quot; such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of &amp;quot;minimum wages&amp;quot; in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Smartening inspection systems&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years!
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than ₹1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (₹1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
		&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;The Hindu Business Line, 22 July, 2014, http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need/article6238397.ece?homepage=true&#039;,
		&#039;article_img&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
		&#039;article_img_thumb&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
		&#039;status&#039; =&gt; (int) 1,
		&#039;show_on_home&#039; =&gt; (int) 1,
		&#039;lang&#039; =&gt; &#039;EN&#039;,
		&#039;category_id&#039; =&gt; (int) 16,
		&#039;tag_keyword&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
		&#039;seo_url&#039; =&gt; &#039;the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need-kr-shyam-sundar-4673522&#039;,
		&#039;meta_title&#039; =&gt; null,
		&#039;meta_keywords&#039; =&gt; null,
		&#039;meta_description&#039; =&gt; null,
		&#039;noindex&#039; =&gt; (int) 0,
		&#039;publish_date&#039; =&gt; object(Cake\I18n\FrozenDate) {},
		&#039;most_visit_section_id&#039; =&gt; null,
		&#039;article_big_img&#039; =&gt; null,
		&#039;liveid&#039; =&gt; (int) 4673522,
		&#039;created&#039; =&gt; object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		&#039;modified&#039; =&gt; object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		&#039;edate&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
		&#039;tags&#039; =&gt; [
			[maximum depth reached]
		],
		&#039;category&#039; =&gt; object(App\Model\Entity\Category) {},
		&#039;[new]&#039; =&gt; false,
		&#039;[accessible]&#039; =&gt; [
			[maximum depth reached]
		],
		&#039;[dirty]&#039; =&gt; [[maximum depth reached]],
		&#039;[original]&#039; =&gt; [[maximum depth reached]],
		&#039;[virtual]&#039; =&gt; [[maximum depth reached]],
		&#039;[hasErrors]&#039; =&gt; false,
		&#039;[errors]&#039; =&gt; [[maximum depth reached]],
		&#039;[invalid]&#039; =&gt; [[maximum depth reached]],
		&#039;[repository]&#039; =&gt; &#039;Articles&#039;
	
	},
	&#039;articleid&#039; =&gt; (int) 25488,
	&#039;metaTitle&#039; =&gt; &#039;LATEST NEWS UPDATES | The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar&#039;,
	&#039;metaKeywords&#039; =&gt; &#039;labour laws,Labour Laws Reforms,Labour Reforms,Labour,Labour Rights&#039;,
	&#039;metaDesc&#039; =&gt; &#039;
-The Hindu Business Line



The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened


The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.


The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-The Hindu Business Line&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an &amp;quot;advisory&amp;quot; to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the &amp;lsquo;decent work&#039; agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The pursuit of some &amp;quot;good&amp;quot; reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;An inclusive view&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The use of &amp;quot;thresholds&amp;quot; such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of &amp;quot;minimum wages&amp;quot; in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Smartening inspection systems&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than 1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
	&#039;lang&#039; =&gt; &#039;English&#039;,
	&#039;SITE_URL&#039; =&gt; &#039;https://im4change.in/&#039;,
	&#039;site_title&#039; =&gt; &#039;im4change&#039;,
	&#039;adminprix&#039; =&gt; &#039;admin&#039;
]
$article_current = object(App\Model\Entity\Article) {

	&#039;id&#039; =&gt; (int) 25488,
	&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar&#039;,
	&#039;subheading&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
-The Hindu Business Line
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an &amp;quot;advisory&amp;quot; to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the &amp;lsquo;decent work&#039; agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The pursuit of some &amp;quot;good&amp;quot; reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;An inclusive view&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The use of &amp;quot;thresholds&amp;quot; such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of &amp;quot;minimum wages&amp;quot; in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Smartening inspection systems&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years!
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than ₹1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (₹1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
	&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;The Hindu Business Line, 22 July, 2014, http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need/article6238397.ece?homepage=true&#039;,
	&#039;article_img&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;article_img_thumb&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;status&#039; =&gt; (int) 1,
	&#039;show_on_home&#039; =&gt; (int) 1,
	&#039;lang&#039; =&gt; &#039;EN&#039;,
	&#039;category_id&#039; =&gt; (int) 16,
	&#039;tag_keyword&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;seo_url&#039; =&gt; &#039;the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need-kr-shyam-sundar-4673522&#039;,
	&#039;meta_title&#039; =&gt; null,
	&#039;meta_keywords&#039; =&gt; null,
	&#039;meta_description&#039; =&gt; null,
	&#039;noindex&#039; =&gt; (int) 0,
	&#039;publish_date&#039; =&gt; object(Cake\I18n\FrozenDate) {},
	&#039;most_visit_section_id&#039; =&gt; null,
	&#039;article_big_img&#039; =&gt; null,
	&#039;liveid&#039; =&gt; (int) 4673522,
	&#039;created&#039; =&gt; object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
	&#039;modified&#039; =&gt; object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
	&#039;edate&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;tags&#039; =&gt; [
		(int) 0 =&gt; object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {},
		(int) 1 =&gt; object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {},
		(int) 2 =&gt; object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {},
		(int) 3 =&gt; object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {},
		(int) 4 =&gt; object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {}
	],
	&#039;category&#039; =&gt; object(App\Model\Entity\Category) {},
	&#039;[new]&#039; =&gt; false,
	&#039;[accessible]&#039; =&gt; [
		&#039;*&#039; =&gt; true,
		&#039;id&#039; =&gt; false
	],
	&#039;[dirty]&#039; =&gt; [],
	&#039;[original]&#039; =&gt; [],
	&#039;[virtual]&#039; =&gt; [],
	&#039;[hasErrors]&#039; =&gt; false,
	&#039;[errors]&#039; =&gt; [],
	&#039;[invalid]&#039; =&gt; [],
	&#039;[repository]&#039; =&gt; &#039;Articles&#039;

}
$articleid = (int) 25488
$metaTitle = &#039;LATEST NEWS UPDATES | The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar&#039;
$metaKeywords = &#039;labour laws,Labour Laws Reforms,Labour Reforms,Labour,Labour Rights&#039;
$metaDesc = &#039;
-The Hindu Business Line



The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened


The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.


The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-The Hindu Business Line&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an &amp;quot;advisory&amp;quot; to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the &amp;lsquo;decent work&#039; agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The pursuit of some &amp;quot;good&amp;quot; reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;An inclusive view&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The use of &amp;quot;thresholds&amp;quot; such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of &amp;quot;minimum wages&amp;quot; in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Smartening inspection systems&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than 1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;
$lang = &#039;English&#039;
$SITE_URL = &#039;https://im4change.in/&#039;
$site_title = &#039;im4change&#039;
$adminprix = &#039;admin&#039;</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp, line 8
Cake\View\View::_evaluate() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1413
Cake\View\View::_render() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1374
Cake\View\View::renderLayout() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 927
Cake\View\View::render() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 885
Cake\Controller\Controller::render() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 791
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 126
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51</pre></div></pre>latest-news-updates/the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need-kr-shyam-sundar-4673522.html"/>
    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"/>
    <link href="https://im4change.in/css/control.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"
          media="all"/>
    <title>LATEST NEWS UPDATES | The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar | Im4change.org</title>
    <meta name="description" content="
-The Hindu Business Line



The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened


The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.


The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend..."/>
    <script src="https://im4change.in/js/jquery-1.10.2.js"></script>
    <script type="text/javascript" src="https://im4change.in/js/jquery-migrate.min.js"></script>
    <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">

        $(document).ready(function () {
            var img = $("img")[0]; // Get my img elem
            var pic_real_width, pic_real_height;
            $("<img/>") // Make in memory copy of image to avoid css issues
                .attr("src", $(img).attr("src"))
                .load(function () {
                    pic_real_width = this.width;   // Note: $(this).width() will not
                    pic_real_height = this.height; // work for in memory images.
                });
        });
    </script>
    <style type="text/css">
        @media screen {
            div.divFooter {
                display: block;
            }
        }

        @media print {
            .printbutton {
                display: none !important;
            }
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="98%" align="center">
    <tr>
        <td class="top_bg">
            <div class="divFooter">
                <img src="https://im4change.in/images/logo1.jpg" height="59" border="0"
                     alt="Resource centre on India's rural distress" style="padding-top:14px;"/>
            </div>

        </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td id="topspace">&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>

    <tr id="topspace">
        <td>&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td height="50" style="border-bottom:1px solid #000; padding-top:10px;" class="printbutton">
            <form><input type="button" value=" Print this page "
                         onclick="window.print();return false;"/></form>
        </td>
    </tr>

    <tr>
        <td width="100%">
            <h1 class="news_headlines" style="font-style:normal">
                <strong>The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar</strong></h1>
        </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td width="100%" style="font-family:Arial, 'Segoe Script', 'Segoe UI', sans-serif, serif"><font size="3">
                <div align="justify">-The Hindu Business Line</div><p align="justify"><br /><em>The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened</em></p><p align="justify">The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.</p><p align="justify">The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an &quot;advisory&quot; to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection.</p><p align="justify">Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the &lsquo;decent work' agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces.</p><p align="justify">The pursuit of some &quot;good&quot; reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems.</p><p align="justify"><em>An inclusive view</em></p><p align="justify">The use of &quot;thresholds&quot; such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards.</p><p align="justify">India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative.</p><p align="justify">The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated.</p><p align="justify">The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of &quot;minimum wages&quot; in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance.</p><p align="justify"><em>Smartening inspection systems</em></p><p align="justify">The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years!</p><p align="justify">Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than 1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked.</p><p align="justify">Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce.</p><p align="justify"><em>The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur</em></p>               </font>
        </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>

    <tr>
        <td height="50" style="border-top:1px solid #000; border-bottom:1px solid #000;padding-top:10px;">
            <form><input type="button" value=" Print this page "
                         onclick="window.print();return false;"/></form>
        </td>
    </tr>
</table></body>
</html>'

}
$reasonPhrase = 'OK'
header - [internal], line ??
Cake\Http\ResponseEmitter::emitStatusLine() - CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148
Cake\Http\ResponseEmitter::emit() - CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 54
Cake\Http\Server::emit() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 141
[main] - ROOT/webroot/index.php, line 39

Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
Code Context
                    $value

                ), $first);

                $first = false;
$response = object(Cake\Http\Response) {

	'status' => (int) 200,
	'contentType' => 'text/html',
	'headers' => [
		'Content-Type' => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
	],
	'file' => null,
	'fileRange' => [],
	'cookies' => object(Cake\Http\Cookie\CookieCollection) {},
	'cacheDirectives' => [],
	'body' => '<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN"
        "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
    <link rel="canonical" href="https://im4change.in/<pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Notice</b> (8)</a>: Undefined variable: urlPrefix [<b>APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp</b>, line <b>8</b>]<div id="cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-code" class="cake-code-dump" style="display: none;"><code><span style="color: #000000"><span style="color: #0000BB"></span><span style="color: #007700">&lt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">head</span><span style="color: #007700">&gt;
</span></span></code>
<span class="code-highlight"><code><span style="color: #000000">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&lt;link&nbsp;rel="canonical"&nbsp;href="<span style="color: #0000BB">&lt;?php&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #007700">echo&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">Configure</span><span style="color: #007700">::</span><span style="color: #0000BB">read</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #DD0000">'SITE_URL'</span><span style="color: #007700">);&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">?&gt;&lt;?php&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #007700">echo&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$urlPrefix</span><span style="color: #007700">;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">?&gt;&lt;?php&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #007700">echo&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$article_current</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">category</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">slug</span><span style="color: #007700">;&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">?&gt;</span>/<span style="color: #0000BB">&lt;?php&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #007700">echo&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$article_current</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">seo_url</span><span style="color: #007700">;&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">?&gt;</span>.html"/&gt;
</span></code></span>
<code><span style="color: #000000"><span style="color: #0000BB">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #007700">&lt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">meta&nbsp;http</span><span style="color: #007700">-</span><span style="color: #0000BB">equiv</span><span style="color: #007700">=</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"Content-Type"&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">content</span><span style="color: #007700">=</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"text/html;&nbsp;charset=utf-8"</span><span style="color: #007700">/&gt;
</span></span></code></pre><pre id="cakeErr67ef85ba7fb1b-context" class="cake-context" style="display: none;">$viewFile = &#039;/home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp&#039;
$dataForView = [
	&#039;article_current&#039; =&gt; object(App\Model\Entity\Article) {

		&#039;id&#039; =&gt; (int) 25488,
		&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar&#039;,
		&#039;subheading&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
		&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
-The Hindu Business Line
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an &amp;quot;advisory&amp;quot; to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the &amp;lsquo;decent work&#039; agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The pursuit of some &amp;quot;good&amp;quot; reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;An inclusive view&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The use of &amp;quot;thresholds&amp;quot; such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of &amp;quot;minimum wages&amp;quot; in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Smartening inspection systems&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years!
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than ₹1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (₹1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
		&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;The Hindu Business Line, 22 July, 2014, http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need/article6238397.ece?homepage=true&#039;,
		&#039;article_img&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
		&#039;article_img_thumb&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
		&#039;status&#039; =&gt; (int) 1,
		&#039;show_on_home&#039; =&gt; (int) 1,
		&#039;lang&#039; =&gt; &#039;EN&#039;,
		&#039;category_id&#039; =&gt; (int) 16,
		&#039;tag_keyword&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
		&#039;seo_url&#039; =&gt; &#039;the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need-kr-shyam-sundar-4673522&#039;,
		&#039;meta_title&#039; =&gt; null,
		&#039;meta_keywords&#039; =&gt; null,
		&#039;meta_description&#039; =&gt; null,
		&#039;noindex&#039; =&gt; (int) 0,
		&#039;publish_date&#039; =&gt; object(Cake\I18n\FrozenDate) {},
		&#039;most_visit_section_id&#039; =&gt; null,
		&#039;article_big_img&#039; =&gt; null,
		&#039;liveid&#039; =&gt; (int) 4673522,
		&#039;created&#039; =&gt; object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		&#039;modified&#039; =&gt; object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		&#039;edate&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
		&#039;tags&#039; =&gt; [
			[maximum depth reached]
		],
		&#039;category&#039; =&gt; object(App\Model\Entity\Category) {},
		&#039;[new]&#039; =&gt; false,
		&#039;[accessible]&#039; =&gt; [
			[maximum depth reached]
		],
		&#039;[dirty]&#039; =&gt; [[maximum depth reached]],
		&#039;[original]&#039; =&gt; [[maximum depth reached]],
		&#039;[virtual]&#039; =&gt; [[maximum depth reached]],
		&#039;[hasErrors]&#039; =&gt; false,
		&#039;[errors]&#039; =&gt; [[maximum depth reached]],
		&#039;[invalid]&#039; =&gt; [[maximum depth reached]],
		&#039;[repository]&#039; =&gt; &#039;Articles&#039;
	
	},
	&#039;articleid&#039; =&gt; (int) 25488,
	&#039;metaTitle&#039; =&gt; &#039;LATEST NEWS UPDATES | The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar&#039;,
	&#039;metaKeywords&#039; =&gt; &#039;labour laws,Labour Laws Reforms,Labour Reforms,Labour,Labour Rights&#039;,
	&#039;metaDesc&#039; =&gt; &#039;
-The Hindu Business Line



The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened


The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.


The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-The Hindu Business Line&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an &amp;quot;advisory&amp;quot; to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the &amp;lsquo;decent work&#039; agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The pursuit of some &amp;quot;good&amp;quot; reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;An inclusive view&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The use of &amp;quot;thresholds&amp;quot; such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of &amp;quot;minimum wages&amp;quot; in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Smartening inspection systems&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than 1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
	&#039;lang&#039; =&gt; &#039;English&#039;,
	&#039;SITE_URL&#039; =&gt; &#039;https://im4change.in/&#039;,
	&#039;site_title&#039; =&gt; &#039;im4change&#039;,
	&#039;adminprix&#039; =&gt; &#039;admin&#039;
]
$article_current = object(App\Model\Entity\Article) {

	&#039;id&#039; =&gt; (int) 25488,
	&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar&#039;,
	&#039;subheading&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
-The Hindu Business Line
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an &amp;quot;advisory&amp;quot; to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the &amp;lsquo;decent work&#039; agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The pursuit of some &amp;quot;good&amp;quot; reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;An inclusive view&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The use of &amp;quot;thresholds&amp;quot; such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of &amp;quot;minimum wages&amp;quot; in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Smartening inspection systems&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years!
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than ₹1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (₹1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
	&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;The Hindu Business Line, 22 July, 2014, http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need/article6238397.ece?homepage=true&#039;,
	&#039;article_img&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;article_img_thumb&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;status&#039; =&gt; (int) 1,
	&#039;show_on_home&#039; =&gt; (int) 1,
	&#039;lang&#039; =&gt; &#039;EN&#039;,
	&#039;category_id&#039; =&gt; (int) 16,
	&#039;tag_keyword&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;seo_url&#039; =&gt; &#039;the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need-kr-shyam-sundar-4673522&#039;,
	&#039;meta_title&#039; =&gt; null,
	&#039;meta_keywords&#039; =&gt; null,
	&#039;meta_description&#039; =&gt; null,
	&#039;noindex&#039; =&gt; (int) 0,
	&#039;publish_date&#039; =&gt; object(Cake\I18n\FrozenDate) {},
	&#039;most_visit_section_id&#039; =&gt; null,
	&#039;article_big_img&#039; =&gt; null,
	&#039;liveid&#039; =&gt; (int) 4673522,
	&#039;created&#039; =&gt; object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
	&#039;modified&#039; =&gt; object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
	&#039;edate&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;tags&#039; =&gt; [
		(int) 0 =&gt; object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {},
		(int) 1 =&gt; object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {},
		(int) 2 =&gt; object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {},
		(int) 3 =&gt; object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {},
		(int) 4 =&gt; object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {}
	],
	&#039;category&#039; =&gt; object(App\Model\Entity\Category) {},
	&#039;[new]&#039; =&gt; false,
	&#039;[accessible]&#039; =&gt; [
		&#039;*&#039; =&gt; true,
		&#039;id&#039; =&gt; false
	],
	&#039;[dirty]&#039; =&gt; [],
	&#039;[original]&#039; =&gt; [],
	&#039;[virtual]&#039; =&gt; [],
	&#039;[hasErrors]&#039; =&gt; false,
	&#039;[errors]&#039; =&gt; [],
	&#039;[invalid]&#039; =&gt; [],
	&#039;[repository]&#039; =&gt; &#039;Articles&#039;

}
$articleid = (int) 25488
$metaTitle = &#039;LATEST NEWS UPDATES | The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar&#039;
$metaKeywords = &#039;labour laws,Labour Laws Reforms,Labour Reforms,Labour,Labour Rights&#039;
$metaDesc = &#039;
-The Hindu Business Line



The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened


The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.


The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-The Hindu Business Line&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an &amp;quot;advisory&amp;quot; to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the &amp;lsquo;decent work&#039; agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The pursuit of some &amp;quot;good&amp;quot; reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;An inclusive view&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The use of &amp;quot;thresholds&amp;quot; such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of &amp;quot;minimum wages&amp;quot; in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Smartening inspection systems&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than 1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;
$lang = &#039;English&#039;
$SITE_URL = &#039;https://im4change.in/&#039;
$site_title = &#039;im4change&#039;
$adminprix = &#039;admin&#039;</pre><pre class="stack-trace">include - APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp, line 8
Cake\View\View::_evaluate() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1413
Cake\View\View::_render() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1374
Cake\View\View::renderLayout() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 927
Cake\View\View::render() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 885
Cake\Controller\Controller::render() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 791
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 126
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51</pre></div></pre>latest-news-updates/the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need-kr-shyam-sundar-4673522.html"/>
    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"/>
    <link href="https://im4change.in/css/control.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"
          media="all"/>
    <title>LATEST NEWS UPDATES | The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar | Im4change.org</title>
    <meta name="description" content="
-The Hindu Business Line



The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened


The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.


The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend..."/>
    <script src="https://im4change.in/js/jquery-1.10.2.js"></script>
    <script type="text/javascript" src="https://im4change.in/js/jquery-migrate.min.js"></script>
    <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">

        $(document).ready(function () {
            var img = $("img")[0]; // Get my img elem
            var pic_real_width, pic_real_height;
            $("<img/>") // Make in memory copy of image to avoid css issues
                .attr("src", $(img).attr("src"))
                .load(function () {
                    pic_real_width = this.width;   // Note: $(this).width() will not
                    pic_real_height = this.height; // work for in memory images.
                });
        });
    </script>
    <style type="text/css">
        @media screen {
            div.divFooter {
                display: block;
            }
        }

        @media print {
            .printbutton {
                display: none !important;
            }
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="98%" align="center">
    <tr>
        <td class="top_bg">
            <div class="divFooter">
                <img src="https://im4change.in/images/logo1.jpg" height="59" border="0"
                     alt="Resource centre on India's rural distress" style="padding-top:14px;"/>
            </div>

        </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td id="topspace">&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>

    <tr id="topspace">
        <td>&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td height="50" style="border-bottom:1px solid #000; padding-top:10px;" class="printbutton">
            <form><input type="button" value=" Print this page "
                         onclick="window.print();return false;"/></form>
        </td>
    </tr>

    <tr>
        <td width="100%">
            <h1 class="news_headlines" style="font-style:normal">
                <strong>The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar</strong></h1>
        </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td width="100%" style="font-family:Arial, 'Segoe Script', 'Segoe UI', sans-serif, serif"><font size="3">
                <div align="justify">-The Hindu Business Line</div><p align="justify"><br /><em>The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened</em></p><p align="justify">The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.</p><p align="justify">The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an &quot;advisory&quot; to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection.</p><p align="justify">Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the &lsquo;decent work' agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces.</p><p align="justify">The pursuit of some &quot;good&quot; reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems.</p><p align="justify"><em>An inclusive view</em></p><p align="justify">The use of &quot;thresholds&quot; such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards.</p><p align="justify">India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative.</p><p align="justify">The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated.</p><p align="justify">The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of &quot;minimum wages&quot; in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance.</p><p align="justify"><em>Smartening inspection systems</em></p><p align="justify">The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years!</p><p align="justify">Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than 1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked.</p><p align="justify">Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce.</p><p align="justify"><em>The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur</em></p>               </font>
        </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>

    <tr>
        <td height="50" style="border-top:1px solid #000; border-bottom:1px solid #000;padding-top:10px;">
            <form><input type="button" value=" Print this page "
                         onclick="window.print();return false;"/></form>
        </td>
    </tr>
</table></body>
</html>'

}
$cookies = []
$values = [
	(int) 0 => 'text/html; charset=UTF-8'
]
$name = 'Content-Type'
$first = true
$value = 'text/html; charset=UTF-8'
header - [internal], line ??
Cake\Http\ResponseEmitter::emitHeaders() - CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181
Cake\Http\ResponseEmitter::emit() - CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 55
Cake\Http\Server::emit() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 141
[main] - ROOT/webroot/index.php, line 39

<head>

    <link rel="canonical" href="<?php echo Configure::read('SITE_URL'); ?><?php echo $urlPrefix;?><?php echo $article_current->category->slug; ?>/<?php echo $article_current->seo_url; ?>.html"/>

    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"/>

$viewFile = '/home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp'
$dataForView = [
	'article_current' => object(App\Model\Entity\Article) {

		'id' => (int) 25488,
		'title' => 'The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar',
		'subheading' => '',
		'description' => '<div align="justify">
-The Hindu Business Line
</div>
<p align="justify">
<br />
<em>The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened</em>
</p>
<p align="justify">
The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.
</p>
<p align="justify">
The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an &quot;advisory&quot; to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the &lsquo;decent work' agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces.
</p>
<p align="justify">
The pursuit of some &quot;good&quot; reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems.
</p>
<p align="justify">
<em>An inclusive view</em>
</p>
<p align="justify">
The use of &quot;thresholds&quot; such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards.
</p>
<p align="justify">
India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative.
</p>
<p align="justify">
The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated.
</p>
<p align="justify">
The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of &quot;minimum wages&quot; in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance.
</p>
<p align="justify">
<em>Smartening inspection systems</em>
</p>
<p align="justify">
The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years!
</p>
<p align="justify">
Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than ₹1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (₹1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce.
</p>
<p align="justify">
<em>The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur</em>
</p>',
		'credit_writer' => 'The Hindu Business Line, 22 July, 2014, http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need/article6238397.ece?homepage=true',
		'article_img' => '',
		'article_img_thumb' => '',
		'status' => (int) 1,
		'show_on_home' => (int) 1,
		'lang' => 'EN',
		'category_id' => (int) 16,
		'tag_keyword' => '',
		'seo_url' => 'the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need-kr-shyam-sundar-4673522',
		'meta_title' => null,
		'meta_keywords' => null,
		'meta_description' => null,
		'noindex' => (int) 0,
		'publish_date' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenDate) {},
		'most_visit_section_id' => null,
		'article_big_img' => null,
		'liveid' => (int) 4673522,
		'created' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'modified' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'edate' => '',
		'tags' => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		],
		'category' => object(App\Model\Entity\Category) {},
		'[new]' => false,
		'[accessible]' => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		],
		'[dirty]' => [[maximum depth reached]],
		'[original]' => [[maximum depth reached]],
		'[virtual]' => [[maximum depth reached]],
		'[hasErrors]' => false,
		'[errors]' => [[maximum depth reached]],
		'[invalid]' => [[maximum depth reached]],
		'[repository]' => 'Articles'
	
	},
	'articleid' => (int) 25488,
	'metaTitle' => 'LATEST NEWS UPDATES | The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar',
	'metaKeywords' => 'labour laws,Labour Laws Reforms,Labour Reforms,Labour,Labour Rights',
	'metaDesc' => '
-The Hindu Business Line



The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened


The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.


The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend...',
	'disp' => '<div align="justify">-The Hindu Business Line</div><p align="justify"><br /><em>The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened</em></p><p align="justify">The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.</p><p align="justify">The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an &quot;advisory&quot; to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection.</p><p align="justify">Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the &lsquo;decent work' agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces.</p><p align="justify">The pursuit of some &quot;good&quot; reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems.</p><p align="justify"><em>An inclusive view</em></p><p align="justify">The use of &quot;thresholds&quot; such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards.</p><p align="justify">India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative.</p><p align="justify">The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated.</p><p align="justify">The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of &quot;minimum wages&quot; in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance.</p><p align="justify"><em>Smartening inspection systems</em></p><p align="justify">The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years!</p><p align="justify">Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than 1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked.</p><p align="justify">Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce.</p><p align="justify"><em>The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur</em></p>',
	'lang' => 'English',
	'SITE_URL' => 'https://im4change.in/',
	'site_title' => 'im4change',
	'adminprix' => 'admin'
]
$article_current = object(App\Model\Entity\Article) {

	'id' => (int) 25488,
	'title' => 'The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar',
	'subheading' => '',
	'description' => '<div align="justify">
-The Hindu Business Line
</div>
<p align="justify">
<br />
<em>The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened</em>
</p>
<p align="justify">
The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.
</p>
<p align="justify">
The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an &quot;advisory&quot; to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the &lsquo;decent work' agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces.
</p>
<p align="justify">
The pursuit of some &quot;good&quot; reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems.
</p>
<p align="justify">
<em>An inclusive view</em>
</p>
<p align="justify">
The use of &quot;thresholds&quot; such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards.
</p>
<p align="justify">
India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative.
</p>
<p align="justify">
The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated.
</p>
<p align="justify">
The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of &quot;minimum wages&quot; in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance.
</p>
<p align="justify">
<em>Smartening inspection systems</em>
</p>
<p align="justify">
The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years!
</p>
<p align="justify">
Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than ₹1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (₹1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce.
</p>
<p align="justify">
<em>The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur</em>
</p>',
	'credit_writer' => 'The Hindu Business Line, 22 July, 2014, http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need/article6238397.ece?homepage=true',
	'article_img' => '',
	'article_img_thumb' => '',
	'status' => (int) 1,
	'show_on_home' => (int) 1,
	'lang' => 'EN',
	'category_id' => (int) 16,
	'tag_keyword' => '',
	'seo_url' => 'the-labour-reforms-we-truly-need-kr-shyam-sundar-4673522',
	'meta_title' => null,
	'meta_keywords' => null,
	'meta_description' => null,
	'noindex' => (int) 0,
	'publish_date' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenDate) {},
	'most_visit_section_id' => null,
	'article_big_img' => null,
	'liveid' => (int) 4673522,
	'created' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
	'modified' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
	'edate' => '',
	'tags' => [
		(int) 0 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {},
		(int) 1 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {},
		(int) 2 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {},
		(int) 3 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {},
		(int) 4 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {}
	],
	'category' => object(App\Model\Entity\Category) {},
	'[new]' => false,
	'[accessible]' => [
		'*' => true,
		'id' => false
	],
	'[dirty]' => [],
	'[original]' => [],
	'[virtual]' => [],
	'[hasErrors]' => false,
	'[errors]' => [],
	'[invalid]' => [],
	'[repository]' => 'Articles'

}
$articleid = (int) 25488
$metaTitle = 'LATEST NEWS UPDATES | The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar'
$metaKeywords = 'labour laws,Labour Laws Reforms,Labour Reforms,Labour,Labour Rights'
$metaDesc = '
-The Hindu Business Line



The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened


The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.


The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend...'
$disp = '<div align="justify">-The Hindu Business Line</div><p align="justify"><br /><em>The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened</em></p><p align="justify">The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government.</p><p align="justify">The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an &quot;advisory&quot; to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection.</p><p align="justify">Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the &lsquo;decent work' agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces.</p><p align="justify">The pursuit of some &quot;good&quot; reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems.</p><p align="justify"><em>An inclusive view</em></p><p align="justify">The use of &quot;thresholds&quot; such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards.</p><p align="justify">India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative.</p><p align="justify">The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated.</p><p align="justify">The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of &quot;minimum wages&quot; in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance.</p><p align="justify"><em>Smartening inspection systems</em></p><p align="justify">The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years!</p><p align="justify">Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than 1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked.</p><p align="justify">Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce.</p><p align="justify"><em>The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur</em></p>'
$lang = 'English'
$SITE_URL = 'https://im4change.in/'
$site_title = 'im4change'
$adminprix = 'admin'

include - APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp, line 8
Cake\View\View::_evaluate() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1413
Cake\View\View::_render() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1374
Cake\View\View::renderLayout() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 927
Cake\View\View::render() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 885
Cake\Controller\Controller::render() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 791
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 126
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51

The labour reforms we truly need -KR Shyam Sundar

-The Hindu Business Line The case against labour inspector raj is overstated. Labour courts need to be strengthened The labour reform debate in India has acquired renewed vigour under the new government. The Rajasthan and the Haryana governments have recently proposed to amend a few Central labour laws. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also circulated labour reform proposals. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has issued an "advisory" to the state governments to institute reforms relating to inspection. Labour flexibility measures, especially in respect of hire and fire and contract labour, have caused industrial unrest and violence. India is committed to the pursuit of the ‘decent work' agenda of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which essentially seeks to promote just and efficient workplaces. The pursuit of some "good" reforms could also contribute to a rise in productivity via nutritional, incentive-based and efficient governance systems. An inclusive view The use of "thresholds" such as size of employment to exclude vast sections of workforce amounts to exclusionary governance. According to Economic Census 2005 about 75 per cent of total workers in India in 2005 were employed in establishments employing less than 10 workers, and these workers are most likely to be not covered by most labour laws save the Shops and Establishments Act and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The coverage of all the workers by separate legislations for micro and small enterprises and medium and large establishments would raise the floor level labour standards. India has not ratified four of the eight ILO Core Conventions concerning child labour (C.138 and C.182), trade unions and collective bargaining (C.87 and C98). Out of 185 countries, 153 countries have ratified conventions covering these three areas. While mere ratification does not lead to solutions, the commitment of the Indian Government to decent work makes early ratification imperative. The Trade Unions Act, 1926, merely provides for voluntary registration of trade unions and not for recognition of trade unions, which is more relevant for collective bargaining. Trade union recognition is provided for by laws at the state level, such as in Maharashtra. Legal amendments providing for trade union recognition, time-bound union registration, sharing of information by parties for efficient collective bargaining, strong union democracy and proscription of unfair labour practices must be initiated. The law on minimum wages and its implementation urgently needs reforms. For example, there is no definition of "minimum wages" in the law. The penalties prescribed in the law for violations of this important socio-economic law are absurdly low. Minimum wage boards are not re-constituted in time and minimum wages are revised after a considerable time lag. The frequent incidence of fatal industrial accidents especially among contract workers calls for stricter regulations and efficient governance. Smartening inspection systems The inspector raj critique is a case of overstatement. The introduction of self-certification in some states and sectors, relaxation in inspections in several states, high person-power deficits and multiple tasks of inspectorates in the labour department have weakened the inspection regime. Labour inspections and conviction rates have significantly declined in the post-reform period. According to the Government of Maharashtra, in 2010-11, an inspector for minimum wages had 5,062 establishments under him. With a workload of 100 inspections per month, he cannot cover the universe even in three years! Penalties need to be kept high enough to dissuade cheating. They need to be inflation-indexed to sustain their bite. Most penalties for violations are in the lower range, that is, less than 1,000 and only the Factories Act imposes heavy penalties (1-2 lakh in exceptional cases). This also weakens the significance of the critique of corruption by labour officers as compared to other high-profile government departments. Imprisonment for labour law violations is often not invoked. Due to the inadequate number of judicial bodies and judicial officers, there are delays in dispensation of justice. These are costly not only for the workers but also for the employers. The Government must increase the number of judicial bodies and personnel proportionate to the workforce. The writer is a professor at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur