-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Now, lakhs of labourers working on construction sites can avail medical benefits under the labour ministry's Employee State Insurance (ESI) scheme. "The Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has approved extending benefits of the ESI scheme to workers deployed on construction sites from August 1, 2015," said an official. The decision is seen as a big step by the BJP government to extend social security coverage to a...

-Business Standard No consensus as yet on social security code  Even though the Indian Labour Conference (ILC) could not build a consensus on forming a labour code on social security schemes, it recommended a slew of measures to broaden their coverage. The two-day conference, a tri-partite platform of trade unions, industry and the government, concluded here on Tuesday with a series of recommendations. It recommended that Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) coverage be expanded...

-Business Standard The Centre proposed a slew of measures for workers ahead of Labour Day. Suggesting flexibility for employers in hiring and firing labour, it also proposed provisions for a better compensation package. Union Labour Secretary Shankar Aggarwal tells Somesh Jha both workers and employers should be ready for a change demanded by the new dynamism of the economy. Edited excerpts: * How important is rationalisation of trade unions? Unions are formed so...

-The Business Standard   A CAIU will be set up to analyse and collect field data for a transparent and accountable labour inspection system The Union labour ministry has approved a more liberal inspection scheme aimed at simplifying business regulations and bringing "transparency and accountability" in the system. For this purpose, a Central Analysis and Intelligence Unit (CAIU) will be set up to analyse and collect field data "for a transparent and accountable labour...

Rolling out a slew of measures for the working class in 2010, the government effected key reforms in some labour acts while also raising the annual rate of returns on employee provident funds to 9.5 per cent. The steps came as the government also unveiled the draft national policy on employment with suggestions of launching of a employment guarantee scheme in urban areas on the lines of NREGA. It amended the Payment...