-Press statement by NREGA Sangharsh Morcha dated 19 July, 2019 While it is heartening that a discussion on rural development lasted for nine hours in Parliament with important issues on MGNREGA being raised, we are deeply disappointed at the statement of the Rural Development Minister that not only displays a lack of understanding of the program but also betrays the clear anti-poor sentiment of this government. On the central issue of inadequate...

-The Telegraph Labour minister Santosh Gangwar said that Rs 178 would be the minimum wage New Delhi: An existing tripartite advisory committee of employers, employees’ unions and state government officials will determine a national-level minimum wage that will be binding on all states after the passage of a draft law, the Centre said on Wednesday. Labour minister Santosh Gangwar had last week said that the government would table a Code on wages Bill...

-The Hindu The lives of tea-estate workers in West Bengal have worsened in many aspects over the years The tea plantation sector continues to play a significant role in the economy of north Bengal. There are 276 organised tea estates spread over the three tea-growing regions of West Bengal: Darjeeling Hills, Terai and Dooars. Besides the formally registered large tea plantations, there are thousands of small growers. According to one estimate, the...

-Hindustan Times The OSH Code is the second major labour reform approved by the government. It cleared the wage Code last week that contained “provisions of minimum wages and payment of wages to cover employees in both the organised and unorganised sectors. The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Occupational, Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, also known as the OSH Code, that seeks to merge 13 central labour laws into a...

-The Telegraph The Code on wages Bill would have no implications for the rural job guarantee scheme New Delhi: The minimum wage to be stipulated under a proposed central law will not apply to unskilled labourers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the government said on Wednesday. Labour minister Santosh Gangwar and rural development minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the Code on wages Bill would have no implications for the...