LABOUR

Ministry of Labour & Employment

Two New Facilities for ESIC Beneficiaries Launched

Posted On: 23 AUG 2018 5:42PM by PIB Delhi

In order to empower Insured Persons and their beneficiaries and create awareness among other Stakeholders, ESIC has come up with two new user friendly initiatives. The initiatives include the facility of ‘IVR (Interactive Voice Response)/Help Desk' for ESIC Toll Free No. - 1800 - 11 - 2526 and production of seven Audio-Visual clips on ESI Benefits.

 ESIC has started recently a landmark facility with 'Launching of IVR / Help Desk' for ESIC Toll Free No. - 1800 - 11 - 2526 . Apart from on the spot redressal of callers' queries, this facility also receives the complaints / grievances simultaneously. Complaints requiring longer period are given unique ticket number and forwarded to PG Portal of ESIC for early redressal. The callers are satisfied and happy to experience interactive response from 'Help Desk' for the first time. On an average, more than 1000 calls are received daily and are attended to the utmost satisfaction of the callers.

 To educate and spread awareness about ESI Benefits among the Stakeholders, mainly the workforce, ESIC has produced seven Audio-Visuals using info graphics and simple language. These Audio-Visuals are already available on You Tube (ESIC HQ You Tube Channel) and the response is very encouraging.

 The Audio-Visual clips have been produced for ‘UMANG’ platform of Govt. of India which will host the ESIC Mobile App ‘Chinta Se Mukti’. The App will be launched very shortly.  The Audio-Visual clips are also being produced in English and all other major regional languages for the benefit of ESIC Insured Persons spread across the country.

 The Clips will help all the Stakeholders, Insured Persons and their family members, employers and employees of ESIC to understand the various benefits being provided under ESI Scheme.      

 Union Minister of State for Labour & Employment Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar has expressed hope that the launch of user friendly initiatives by ESIC will certainly empower the work force of the country.

UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) is envisaged to make e-governance . It is developed by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and National e-Governance Division (NeGD) to drive Mobile Governance in India.

UMANG provides a single platform for all Indian Citizens to access pan India e-Gov services ranging from Central to Local Government bodies and other citizen centric services. 
UMANG intends to provide major services offered by Central and State Government departments, Local bodies and other utility services from private organizations. It provides a unified approach where citizens can install one application to avail multiple government services. 

UMANG service has been made available on multiple channels like mobile application, web, IVR and SMS which can be accessed through smartphones, feature phones, tablets and desktops. UMANG  has been created with a thought to add convenience to your lifestyle. UMANG will revolutionize the way how an Indian citizen avails government services today, because it leverages the current accelerated internet and smartphone penetration in our country.

UMANG

One app for availing 
various government services

300SERVICES

 

66APPLICATIONS

 

17STATES

Unions reject IBA’s wage raise offer

The Indian Banks’ Association’s (IBA) revised offer to raise bank employee wages by 6%, from the 2% proposed earlier, was rejected by bank unions.

The unions have been demanding a 25% increase. However, the unions have agreed to fresh talks on the issue by the end of August.

“IBA improved the offer from 2% to 6%. UFBU has rejected the offer but has agreed to continue to negotiate,” United Forum of Bank Unions convener for Maharashtra, Devidas Tuljapurkar, said after the 13th round of wage negotiations with IBA on Monday.

UFBU is the the umbrella body for nine trade unions.

Salaries of public sector banks are revised every five years and the current wage revision is due from November 2017, after the 10th Bipartite Settlement ended in October 2017. In the 10th Bipartite wage settlement, which was signed in May 2015, for the period between November 2012 and October 2017, the IBA had offered a 15% hike.

There are 21 public sector banks in India which employ about 8 lakh people

Pourakarmika ends life

Bengaluru,Karnataka,India

He wasn’t paid salary for a year: Family

A pourakarmika ended his life on Sunday evening, allegedly over non-payment of wages for a year.

S. Subramani, 38, was working as a sweeper in Dattatreya Temple Ward. His family alleged that he took the extreme step as he was unable to pay the school fees of his two children.

The family produced two petitions reportedly found on his person on Sunday, both addressed to KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao, who is also the local MLA.

In one, he complained that the BBMP had not paid him wages for the past seven months, and in the other, he accused a contractor, under whom he had worked, of cheating him of five months wages, as well as ESI and PF. “He had worked without salary for over a year, first under a contractor and later under the BBMP direct payment scheme from January 2018. He was running from pillar to post to get his salary to make ends meet,” said Kavita, his wife, who works as a domestic help.

About Swachh Bharat Mission 

To accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to put focus on sanitation, the Prime Minister of India launched the Swachh Bharat Mission on 2nd October, 2014. The Mission Coordinator for SBM is Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) with two Sub-Missions, the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) and the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban). Together, they aim to achieve Swachh Bharat by 2019, as a fitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th Birth Anniversary.

In Rural India, this would mean improving the levels of cleanliness through Solid and Liquid Waste Management activities and making villages Open Defecation Free (ODF), clean and sanitised.

Vision

The aim of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) is to achieve a clean and Open Defecation Free (ODF) India by 2nd October, 2019

Objectives

• To bring about an improvement in the general quality of life in the rural areas, by promoting cleanliness, hygiene and eliminating open defecation.
• To accelerate sanitation coverage in rural areas to achieve the vision of Swachh Bharat by 2nd October 2019.
• To motivate communities to adopt sustainable sanitation practices and facilities through awareness creation and health education.
• To encourage cost effective and appropriate technologies for ecologically safe and sustainable sanitation.
• To develop, wherever required, community managed sanitation systems focusing on scientific Solid & Liquid Waste Management systems for overall cleanliness in the rural areas.
• To create significant positive impact on gender and promote social inclusion by improving sanitation especially in marginalized communities

Strategy

The focus of the Strategy is to move towards a ‘Swachh Bharat’ by providing flexibility to State governments, as sanitation is a State subject, to decide on their implementation policy, use of funds and mechanisms, taking into account State specific requirements. The Government of India’s role is essentially to complement the efforts of the State governments through the focused programme being given the status of a Mission, recognizing its dire need for the country.

The key elements of the Strategy include

• Augmenting the institutional capacity of districts for undertaking intensive behaviour change activities at the grassroots level
• Strengthening the capacities of implementing agencies to roll out the programme in a time-bound manner and to measure collective outcomes
• Incentivizing the performance of State-level institutions to implement behavioural change activities in communities

50 and out: U.P. to dump non-performing officials

Adityanath govt. for ‘compulsory retirement’ of staff found negligent; order sparks protests

The Uttar Pradesh government is contemplating “compulsory retirement” for employees aged 50 and above if they are found neglecting their duty — an order that has not gone down well with the workforce.

Around four lakh employees out of a total of 16 lakh working with the State government would come under the ambit of the new order and a detailed report of their work and performance would have to be submitted by department heads by July 31, a senior government official said.

“You all (departmental heads) should complete screening of all the employees above 50 years of age for compulsory retirement by July 31. For considering 50 years of age, the cut off date will be March 31, 2018,” a government order issued by Additional Chief Secretary Mukul Singhal read.

It also said according to rules, any government employee can opt for retirement.

The order has, however, not gone down well with the employees, with President of the U.P. Secretariat Employees’ Association Yadavendra Mishra, saying such attempts were aimed at harassing government servants.

“It will not be tolerated,” he said, adding that a meeting would be held here on Monday to decide the future course of action, which might include going on strike. While such orders have been in vogue since 1986, they were not being implemented in letter and spirit by several departments, officials said.

To make sure that the order is implemented, all departments have been asked to complete screening of employees for the purpose of compulsory retirement by July 31., the order said.

The order, dated July 6, has been marked to the additional chief secretary, the principal secretaries and the secretaries in the government.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered a similar exercise last year to screen IAS and IPS officers who had crossed 50.

Labour ministry draft policy to ensure healthy employees, reduce occupational hazards

The draft, titled Labour Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions has provisions for which the ministry has taken cues from 13 acts to prepare the draft regarding working conditions.

The draft also specifies duties for an employer to ensure that employees do not face hazards and remain healthy at their respective workplaces. (File | EPS)

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Periodic medical inspections, mandatory registration of workplaces and surprise checks on employee safety by facilitators appointed by the government are some of the provisions that the labour ministry has proposed in the new draft policy to ensure safety and health of workers at their workplaces.

The draft, titled Labour Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions has provisions for which the ministry has taken cues from 13 acts to prepare the draft regarding working conditions. The draft classifies workers from different sectors and has laid out guidelines for each sector separately. Some of the categories which factory workers, miners, dock workers, building and construction workers, plantation labour, contractual labour, working journalists, motor transport workers, beedi and cigar workers and cine and cinema theatre workers.

The draft also prescribes guidelines regarding the registration of companies. "Every employer of an establishment, employing ten or more employees, shall, register within a period of six months from such commencement or, as the case may be, from the date on which this Code becomes so applicable," the draft states. However, offices attached to the state or central government are exempt from this registration process.

The draft also specifies duties for an employer to ensure that employees do not face hazards and remain healthy at their respective workplaces.

"Every employer shall ensure the periodical medical examination and prescribed tests of the employee employed in his establishment. Every employer shall provide and maintain, as far as is reasonably practicable, a working environment that is safe and without risk to the health of the employees," the draft says. Activists are all smiles about the development.

"Given the current scenario of the working conditions in the country, the draft is a positive sign. But in reality, there is a long way to go till it is implemented. The real improvement will come about only when it is passed and enforced properly," Alka Singh of Nirman, ab NGO working for the welfare of workers said.

The draft also mandates all types of companies to constitute a safety committee and notify it about the spread of diseases, if any and also about hazardous circumstances at the workplace. The committee will have members who will be designated as safety officers.

The ministry has proposed the setting up of a National Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Board to advise the government on the matters relating to the code. The board will comprise of a secretary of the labour ministry as the chairman with representatives of all stakeholders as its members.

The board will also be tasked with conducting regular health and occupational hazard surveys at workplaces. The draft proposes the appointment of facilitators to ensure that the code is being adhered to at workplaces. "A facilitator may enter a work place, make examination of the premises, plant, machinery, article, or any other relevant material," the draft says.

‘Indian FMCGs turn to cobots to upgrade to Industry 4.0’

Companies in the FMCG and healthcare sector in India have started to adopt to industry 4.0 through deploying collaborative robots in their manufacturing processes.

CHENNAI: Companies in the FMCG and healthcare sector in India have started to adopt to industry 4.0 through deploying collaborative robots in their manufacturing processes, a company official told The Sunday Standard.

Fraught with safety perils for humans to work alongside IoT machinery in shop floors, expensive machine parts, the lack of availability of skilled engineers to programme IoT bots, industrial robots have been out of reach for many Indian industries over the years. 

Currently, it takes about Rs 15 lakh to `22 lakh only to consult and upgrade to partial automation if one opts for collaborative robots, said Pradeep S David, General Manager, South Asia-Universal Robots.
Cobots are industrial robots that are deemed safe to collaborate with workers in a factory. While requiring the least amount of human intervention, the bots can also be programmed to move to different manufacturing processes and assembly lines.

This will help smaller factories with limited infrastructure, a leaner product mix and fewer skilled workers to reduce lead time, move away from obsolete processes without the need for reinvestment in machinery and optimise capacity utilisation, the official added.

Universal Robots, which has its primary production facility in Denmark, gets nearly 50 per cent of its revenue from Europe and 25 per cent each from the US and Asia markets.

The company, which looks to double its total turnover in financial year 2019, said it sees its revenue share increasing from the region in the near future due to aggressive modernisation in Chinese industries and Indian companies starting to adapt to partial automation.

“With the current production facility, we will be able to match the demand for 2018 and 2019. However, we will have to decide on our second plant’s location in the next six months,” said Jurgen Von Hollen, president, Universal Robots.

Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) or consumer packaged goods (CPG) are products that are sold quickly and at relatively low cost. Examples include non-durable goods such as packaged foods, beverages, toiletries, over-the-counter drugs and many other consumables.In contrast, durable goods or major appliances such as kitchen appliances are generally replaced over a period of several years.

Many fast moving consumer goods have a short shelf life, either as a result of high consumer demand or because the product deteriorates rapidly. Some FMCGs, such as meat, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and baked goods, are highly perishable. Other goods, such as pre-packaged foods, soft drinks, chocolate, candies, toiletries, and cleaning products, have high turnover rates. The sales are sometimes influenced by holidays and seasons.

Packaging is critical for FMCGs. The logistics and distribution systems often require secondary and tertiary packaging to maximize efficiency. The unit pack or primary package is critical for product protection and shelf life and also provides information and sales incentives to consumers.

Though the profit margin made on FMCG products is relatively small (more so for retailers than the producers/suppliers), they are generally sold in large quantities; thus, the cumulative profit on such products can be substantial. FMCG is a classic case of low margin and high volume business.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical devices, vehicles, home appliances, and other items embedded with electronics, software,sensors, actuators, and connectivity which enables these things to connect and exchange data, creating opportunities for more direct integration of the physical world into computer-based systems, resulting in efficiency improvements, economic benefits, and reduced human exertions.

The number of IoT devices increased 31% year-over-year to 8.4 billion in 2017 and it is estimated that there will be 30 billion devices by 2020.The global market value of IoT is projected to reach $7.1 trillion by 2020.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a system of interrelated computing devices,mechanical and digital machines, objects, animals or people that are provided with unique identifiers and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.

Uses:

The Internet of things (IoT) is the inter-networking of physical devices, vehicles (also referred to as "connected devices" and "smart devices"), buildings, and other items—embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and network connectivity that enable these objects to collect and exchange data.

Bullying in the workplace:

Bullying :(ಪೀಡಿಸುವುದು )

Various institutions have undertaken zero-tolerance policies, (A zero tolerance policy is one which imposes strict punishment for infractions of a stated rule, with the intention of eliminating undesirable conduct.Zero-tolerance policies forbid persons in positions of authority from exercising discretion or changing punishments to fit the circumstances subjectively; they are required to impose a pre-determined punishment regardless of individual culpability, extenuating circumstances, or history. This pre-determined punishment, whether mild or severe, is always meted out.)

for example, in the military, in the workplace, and in schools, in an effort to eliminate various kinds of illegal behavior, such as harassment. Proponents hope that such policies will underscore the commitment of administrators to prevent such behavior. Others raise a concern about this use of zero-tolerance policies, a concern which derives from analysis of errors of omission versus errors of commission. Here is the reasoning: Failure to proscribe unacceptable behavior may lead to errors of omission—too little will be done. But zero tolerance may be seen as a kind of ruthless management, which may lead to a perception of "too much being done". If people fear that their co-workers or fellow students may be fired, terminated, or expelled, they may not come forward at all when they see behavior deemed unacceptable. (This is a classic example of Type I and type II errors.) The Type Two error, where it occurs with respect to zero tolerance, leads to the situation where too stringent a policy may actually reduce reports of illegal behavior.

Exports from SEZs up 38% in May at Rs 29000 crores

Exports from special economic zones (SEZs) grew by 38 per cent 

in May to Rs 29,236 crores, according to data by EPCES.

Exports from special economic zones (SEZs) grew by 38 per cent in May to Rs 29,236 crores, according to data by EPCES. (Reuters)

Exports from special economic zones (SEZs) grew by 38 per cent in May to Rs 29,236 crores, according to data by EPCES. Export Promotion Council for EoUs and SEZs (EPCES) said the major sectors contributing to the growth include biotech, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, computers, electronics, non-conventional energy, plastic, rubber, trading and services.

Further, during April-May this fiscal, exports from these zones rose by 11 per cent to Rs 1.01 lakh crore. Vinay Sharma, officiating chairman of EPCES, said: “The healthy pace of growth in exports from SEZs once again reflects the increasing economical impact of these zones and its contribution to the country’s export earnings.” The major export destinations are the UAE, US and Saudi Arabia.

However, regions like Hong Kong, Africa, Kenya and Oman have seen negative trends, it added. These zones enjoy certain fiscal and non-fiscal incentives such as no license requirement for import; full freedom for subcontracting; and no routine examination by customs authorities of export/import cargo. They also enjoy direct and indirect tax benefits. Exports from special economic zones grew by about 15 per cent to Rs 5.52 lakh crore in 2017-18.

Special Economic Zone

India was one of the first in Asia to recognize the effectiveness of the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) model in promoting exports, with Asia's first EPZ set up in Kandla in 1965. With a view to overcome the shortcomings experienced on account of the multiplicity of controls and clearances; absence of world-class infrastructure, and an unstable fiscal regime and with a view to attract larger foreign investments in India, the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) Policy was announced in April 2000.

This policy intended to make SEZs an engine for economic growth supported by quality infrastructure complemented by an attractive fiscal package, both at the Centre and the State level, with the minimum possible regulations. SEZs in India functioned from 1.11.2000 to 09.02.2006 under the provisions of the Foreign Trade Policy and fiscal incentives were made effective through the provisions of relevant statutes.

To instill confidence in investors and signal the Government's commitment to a stable SEZ policy regime and with a view to impart stability to the SEZ regime thereby generating greater economic activity and employment through the establishment of SEZs, a comprehensive draft SEZ Bill prepared after extensive discussions with the stakeholders. A number of meetings were held in various parts of the country both by the Minister for Commerce and Industry as well as senior officials for this purpose. The Special Economic Zones Act, 2005, was passed by Parliament in May, 2005 which received Presidential assent on the 23rd of June, 2005. The draft SEZ Rules were widely discussed and put on the website of the Department of Commerce offering suggestions/comments. Around 800 suggestions were received on the draft rules. After extensive consultations, the SEZ Act, 2005, supported by SEZ Rules, came into effect on 10th February, 2006, providing for drastic simplification of procedures and for single window clearance on matters relating to central as well as state governments. The main objectives of the SEZ Act are:

• generation of additional economic activity
• promotion of exports of goods and services
• promotion of investment from domestic and foreign sources
• creation of employment opportunities
• development of infrastructure facilities

It is expected that this will trigger a large flow of foreign and domestic investment in SEZs, in infrastructure and productive capacity, leading to generation of additional economic activity and creation of employment opportunities.

The SEZ Act 2005 envisages key role for the State Governments in Export Promotion and creation of related infrastructure. A Single Window SEZ approval mechanism has been provided through a 19 member inter-ministerial SEZ Board of Approval (BoA). The applications duly recommended by the respective State Governments/UT Administration are considered by this BoA periodically. All decisions of the Board of approvals are with consensus.

The SEZ Rules provide for different minimum land requirement for different class of SEZs. Every SEZ is divided into a processing area where alone the SEZ units would come up and the non-processing area where the supporting infrastructure is to be created.

The SEZ Rules provide for:

• " Simplified procedures for development, operation, and maintenance of the Special Economic Zones and for setting up units and conducting business in SEZs;
• Single window clearance for setting up of an SEZ;
• Single window clearance for setting up a unit in a Special Economic Zone;
• Single Window clearance on matters relating to Central as well as State Governments;
• Simplified compliance procedures and documentation with an emphasis on self certification

Approval mechanism and Administrative set up of SEZs

Approval mechanism
The developer submits the proposal for establishment of SEZ to the concerned State Government. The State Government has to forward the proposal with its recommendation within 45 days from the date of receipt of such proposal to the Board of Approval. The applicant also has the option to submit the proposal directly to the Board of Approval.

The Board of Approval has been constituted by the Central Government in exercise of the powers conferred under the SEZ Act. All the decisions are taken in the Board of Approval by consensus. The Board of Approval has Secretary, Department of Commerce as Chairman and 18 members (in total 19 Members.)

Administrative set up

The functioning of the SEZs is governed by a three tier administrative set up. The Board of Approval is the apex body and is headed by the Secretary, Department of Commerce. The Approval Committee at the Zone level deals with approval of units in the SEZs and other related issues. Each Zone is headed by a Development Commissioner, who is ex-officio chairperson of the Approval Committee.

Once an SEZ has been approved by the Board of Approval and Central Government has notified the area of the SEZ, units are allowed to be set up in the SEZ. All the proposals for setting up of units in the SEZ are approved at the Zone level by the Approval Committee consisting of Development Commissioner, Customs Authorities and representatives of State Government. All post approval clearances including grant of importer-exporter code number, change in the name of the company or implementing agency, broad banding diversification, etc. are given at the Zone level by the Development Commissioner. The performance of the SEZ units are periodically monitored by the Approval Committee and units are liable for penal action under the provision of Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, in case of violation of the conditions of the approval.

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Domestic workers’ body gets trade union status

the first organisation of domestic workers to be granted trade union status in the State(West Bengal)

For Tapsi Moira, 38, a domestic worker living in south Kolkata, life had become even more gruelling after she became part of an organisation of domestic workers.

In late 2014, the organisation applied for trade union status. Since then she had to visit the Labour Department’s office in central Kolkata almost daily from her south Kolkata home in Dhakuria after work to inquire about the status of their application.

The struggle of Ms. Moira and other members of the organisation — Paschimbanga Griha Paricharika Samiti (PGPS-West Bengal Domestic Workers Society) — paid off earlier this week when they received the trade union certificate from the State government.

“On many days after waiting for three to four hours in the office, I was told to come next week as the concerned official didn’t come to office that day,” said Ms. Moira.

It is the first organisation of domestic workers to be granted trade union status in the State, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, senior Trinamool Congress trade union leader and Minister said.

A domestic worker, domestic helper or domestic servant, also called menial, is a person who works within the employer'shousehold. Domestic helpers perform a variety of household services for an individual or a family, from providing care for children and elderly dependents to housekeeping, including cleaning and household maintenance. Other responsibilities may include cooking,laundry and ironing, shopping for food and other household errands. Such work has always needed to be done but before the Industrial Revolution and the advent of labour saving devices, it was physically much harder.

Some domestic helpers live within their employer's household. In some cases, the contribution and skill of servants whose work encompassed complex management tasks in large households have been highly valued. However, for the most part, domestic work, while necessary, is demanding and undervalued. Although legislation protecting domestic workers is in place in many countries, it is often not extensively enforced. In many jurisdictions, domestic work is poorly regulated and domestic workers are subject to serious abuses, including slavery.

Servant is an older English word for "domestic worker", though not all servants worked inside the home. Domestic service, or the employment of people for wages in their employer's residence, was sometimes simply called "service" and has often been part of a hierarchical system. In Britain a highly developed system of domestic service peaked towards the close of the Victorian era, perhaps reaching its most complicated and rigidly structured state during the Edwardian period (a period known in the US as the Gilded Age and in France as the Belle Époque), which reflected the limited social mobility before World War I

Legal protections

The United Kingdom's Master and Servant Act 1823 was the first of its kind and influenced the creation of domestic service laws in other nations, although legislation tended to favour employers. However, before the passing of such Acts servants, and workers in general, had no protection in law. The only real advantage that domestic service provided was the provision of meals, accommodation, and sometimes clothes, in addition to a modest wage. Service was normally an apprentice system with room for advancement through the ranks.

At its 301st Session (March 2008), the International Labour Organization (ILO) Governing Body agreed to place an item on decent work for domestic workers on the agenda of the 99th Session of the International Labour Conference (2010) with a view to the setting of labour standards. The conditions faced by domestic workers have varied considerably throughout history and in the contemporary world. In the course of twentieth-century movements forlabour rights, women's rights and immigrant rights, the conditions faced by domestic workers and the problems specific to their class of employment have come to the fore. In 2011, the International Labour Organization adopted the Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers.

In July 2011, at the annual International Labour Conference, held by the ILO, conference delegates adopted the Convention on Domestic Workers by a vote of 396 to 16, with 63 abstentions. The Convention recognized domestic workers as workers with the same rights as other workers. On 26 April 2012,Uruguay was the first country to ratify the convention.

Rights For Domestic Workers

Coinciding with the World Day for Social Justice on 20 February, the Employment and Social Protection Task Team, led by ILO, launched joint advocacy and communication on the theme of Rights for Domestic Workers in February 2014. The theme stimulated public debate on the rights and equality issues of domestic workers including safety, working conditions, wages, social protection, employer’s expectations and employer-employee relationships with a view to collectively promote decent work for domestic workers.

ABOUT DOMESTIC WORKERS

UNTAPPED POTENTIAL

More women in India are receiving an education than ever before and the country has recorded consistent economic growth. Despite this, India continues to have one of lowest rates of female workforce participation in the world.

Close to 54 percent of working age women between the ages of 15 to 59 are not available for work because of household responsibilities or domestic work. In addition, they undertake tasks such as fetching wood and water which goes towards the care and sustenance of their family. Such work is called many things – unpaid care work, reproductive work, social care functions and so on.

Hired domestic workers ease the burden of individual households by undertaking household chores in return for remuneration. The tasks include the care of children and the elderly, cooking, driving, cleaning, grocery shopping, running errands and taking care of household pets, particularly in urban areas. However, despite the benefits this work brings to individual households, domestic workers are often not recognized as workers by society.

Tasks performed by them are not recognized as ‘work’. Domestic workers in India continue to struggle for visibility and recognition. While several legislations such as the Unorganized Social Security Act, 2008, Sexual Harassment against Women at Work Place (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and Minimum Wages Schedules notified in various states refer to domestic workers, there remains an absence of comprehensive, uniformly applicable, national legislation that guarantees fair terms of employment and decent working conditions. Domestic workers should however be guaranteed the same terms of employment as enjoyed by other workers.

Understanding domestic work

Unlike other forms of labour market activity, domestic work takes place in an unconventional place of work, i.e. the household. Gaining public acceptance of a household as a place of work is a challenge. Implementation of labour laws such as minimum wages and regularized work hours, which are essential elements of any kind of work, also remain a challenge. Such regulation is complex because the nature of domestic work is unique compared to other forms of work. The sector lacks effective means to regulate working conditions, for example, through streamlined job descriptions which could be offered through standard contracts. Furthermore, unlike work in a formal setting, domestic work is not guided by clear and agreed production or output goals. Enforcing labour laws remains a significant bottleneck. This is because privacy norms do not bode well with the idea of labour inspectors entering private households and ensuring regulations.
Policymakers, legislative bodies and people need to recognize the existence of an employment relationship in domestic work. Such a view would see domestic workers as not just “helpers” who are “part of the family” but as employed workers entitled to the rights and dignity that employment brings with it.

INVISIBLE AND UNRECOGNIZED BUT CRUCIAL FOR WOMEN’S LIVELIHOODS

At present, domestic work stands as a readily-available livelihood option for millions of women. While a large number of women are engaged in this sector, it is important to look at the working conditions that exist in this sector. Fixing fair, minimum wages, providing weekly days off and paid annual leaves, protecting from physical and sexual abuse and ensuring social security, are key issues that need to be addressed by the government nationally, and across India’s states.

LAW AND ORDER VERSUS RIGHTS-BASED APPROACHES

Physical and sexual abuse against domestic workers is often reported in the media. Various studies and reports also reveal that domestic workers are subjected to discrimination on grounds of religion, caste and ethnicity. Often, these challenges are placed in a law and order framework instead of a labour rights framework. Regulating domestic work through legislation is the only way to address abuses against domestic workers. Data released by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in February 2014, published in response to a question tabled in the upper house of Parliament, track reports of violence against domestic helpers between 2010 and 2012. Overall, in India’s 28 states and 7 union territories, there were 3,564 cases of alleged violence against domestic workers reported in 2012, up slightly from 3,517 in 2011 and 3,422 in 2010.

STATES PROTECTION FOR DOMESTIC WORKERS

The state governments of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu have taken several steps to improve the working conditions of domestic workers and to provide access to social security schemes. Seven states including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, and Rajasthan have introduced minimum wages for domestic workers. The state governments of Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu have also constituted Welfare Boards for domestic workers who are able to avail of welfare benefits by registering with these Boards. However, despite these efforts, a large majority of domestic workers remain outside the purview of labour laws even today.

ADDRESSING GENDER INEQUALITY THROUGH EQUALITY OF DOMESTIC WORK

Domestic work has enabled many women to enter the labour market and benefit from economic autonomy. However, this has not translated into gender equality. Worldwide, household responsibilities and unpaid care work continue to pose significant barriers to women’s labour market participation. On many occasions, ILO has argued the need to change the idea that care-giving is a private domestic responsibility unique to women.

A greater sense of social co-responsibility must be developed- first towards a redistribution of responsibilities between households, the market and the state, that is a shift toward society as a whole assuming responsibility for the process of reproducing the labour force; and second, towards redistributing reproductive work/unpaid care work between men and women, in line with the change that has already taken place regarding productive (paid) work.

In order to leave behind the assumption that women alone must balance productive work with family and care responsibilities, we must foster alternative models of maternity, paternity and masculinity. Hence, what is needed is a reconfiguration of the financing of ‘care’ from the current model that relies heavily on the households, the women and the domestic workers, to the state. This can be done through measures such as making available good quality full-day child care especially for the low income population and facilitating the development of effective policies to enable workers to meet demands of unpaid work (for example, leave policies and working time policies).

The large supply of domestic workers in India has meant a meant a shift of care responsibilities from women in the households to hired domestic workers who are a predominantly female and largely invisible. This, in itself, did not challenge broader structural gender inequality. Hence, ILO’s demands for decent work for domestic workers are two pronged- first and foremost, it calls for recognition of the rights of domestic workers for fair terms of employment that are no less favourable than those of other workers; secondly, it calls for the active participation of the state and the recognition of the existence of structural inequality that is perpetuated by not recognizing the sheer weight of ‘care work’.

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Why Worker go for strike though right to call 

Bandh, Strike,Lockout ,Hartal is not fundamental right

 under right to freedom of speech..?

Bank strike: Operations hit across India, employees firm 

on demand of wage revision

The All India Bank Employees Association, a body of over 10 lakh bankers in government and private lenders 

had demanded an early revision of the wages which is due since November 1, 2017.

Bank Union members protesting at Bank square in Sector 17, Chandigarh on Wednesday. (Express photos by Sahil Walia)

Banking operations in the country were hit on Wednesday after nearly 10 lakh employees went on a two-day strike to protest against a ‘minimal’ wage hike of just two per cent offered by the management body of Indian Banks Association (IBA). The strike was mostly joined by employees of public sector banks (PSUs) and also received support from some foreign banks.

While there were reports of disruption from various states, the impact of the strike in certain states like Kerala, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand was more visible. With the month coming to an end, the strike affected the distribution of salaries and ATMs went dry in several cities. The effects are likely to continue on Thursday as well.

“Nearly 10 lakh employees, working in various branches of 21 public sector banks, 13 old generation private sector banks, six foreign banks and 56 regional rural banks across the country went on the strike as IBA offered them a nominal wage revision,” All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) said in a statement.

Closed ATM adjacent to Kolkata municipal corporation head office in Kolkata on Wednesday. (Express photos by Partha Paul)

While the strike halted the operations of PSU banks, most of the private sector banks stayed away. Work in banks like ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank was carried out normally. An RBI official told PTI that some digital banking work was done through electronic systems like the RTGS but the functioning of banks’ servers was hit. Digital banking comprises about 5 per cent of the total operations, the official said.

Operations affected in Maharashtra 

Banking services in Maharashtra were crippled as nearly 60,000 employees of various banks went on strike. “Bank employees have implemented government’s flagship programmes, such as Jan Dhan Yojna, demonetisation, Mudra scheme, Atal Pension Yojana, in the last few years. Our workload has increased substantially and we need an appropriate compensation for it,” Devidas Tuljapurkar, convenor, United Forum of Bank Unions said.  “Bank employees have implemented government’s flagship programmes, such as Jan Dhan Yojna, demonetisation, Mudra scheme, Atal Pension Yojana, in the last few years. Our workload has increased substantially and we need an appropriate compensation for it,” he added.

Rajasthan

Banking services in Rajasthan were crippled as nearly 30,000 employees of various banks participated in the strike on Wednesday. “The strike is likely to affect Rs 10,000 crore worth of transactions daily. Nearly 5,500 bank branches are shut and 30,000 employees are on strike in support of nationwide stir,” the United Forum of Bank Unions convenor (Rajasthan) Mahesh Mishra said. He added that the bank employees will tomorrow lodge a protest here at Ambedkar Circle.

Kerala

Banking operations came to a standstill in Kerala after over 30,000 employees and officers of various banks went on strike over demands for wage revision. In the state capital, as part of the agitation, employees took out a march from Fine Arts College at Palayam to State Bank of India’s city branch near the Secretariat. According to All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) Joint Secretary, K S Krishna, ATMs had been loaded fully yesterday and customers were unlikely to be hit due to the strike.

Punjab & Haryana

The industrial sector, including the MSME and large enterprises in Punjab and Haryana are likely to face problems for a couple of days as their business transactions may be hampered. Protesting employees, under the aegis of United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), held rallies and demonstrations at several places including Ludhiana. “We do not want that customers should face any kind of inconvenience. But we were left with no option except to go on strike,” UFBU (Ludhiana), Convener, Naresh Gaur said.

The All India Bank Employees Association, a body of over 10 lakh bankers in government and private lenders had demanded an early revision of the wages which is due since November 1, 2017. “The strike notice has been served to Indian Banks Association (IBA) representing the bank management and the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), New Delhi,” CH Venkatachalam, general secretary, AIBEA, told IANS.

In the last wage settlement, for the period November 2012 to October 2017, IBA had given a wage hike of 15 per cent. IBA officials reasoned that the hike in wages had to be limited to 2 per cent as banks were grappling with a rise in non-performing assets.

Explained Snippets | Bank strike: What unions want, what they are being offered

The United Forum of Bank Unions has been discussing the wage bill hike issue with the Indian Banks’ Association.

 In the last meeting earlier this month, IBA proposed that the wage bill be increased by 2% for the next five years.

Punjab National Bank staff protest in Mumbai Wednesday. (Photo: Ganesh Shirsekar)

Public-sector bank employees went on a two-day strike from Wednesday following a disagreement over the quantum of scheduled pay hike with effect from November 2017. The United Forum of Bank Unions has been discussing the wage bill hike issue with the Indian Banks’ Association. In the last meeting earlier this month, IBA proposed that the wage bill be increased by 2% for the next five years. This means that from November 2017 to October 2022, pay scales would go up by 2 per cent over the wage bill of March 2017. The bank unions, however, say this is significantly lower than the 15% increase in the total wage bill that the IBA had agreed to during the 10th bipartite wage settlement for the period November 2012-October 2017.

While the IBA has stressed that banks have not made much profit, the unions disagree. All India Bank Employees’ Association general secretary C H Venkatachalam said, “In 2011-12 when the last settlement happened, the aggregate operating profit of all banks was Rs 87,691 crore, and in 2016-17 the operating profit has risen to Rs 1,58,982 crore. So the banks have made an operating profit.

 If the net profit of the banks have come down on account of provisions for NPAs, that has nothing to do with the employees.” —Sandeep Singh

Let us analyse the meaning of NPA ( ,which was the only weapon for IBA ) IBA,which proposed that the wage bill be increased by 2% for the next five years. 

*ASSET of Bank means Loans given to borrowers .It means I,You,Vijay Malya ,Nirav Modi and many more ......
When borrower paid back principle/ interest or both to the bank then we can call it as STANDARD ASSET.here we can equate the word standard asset to REFERENCE ASSET,performing asset.....
*If either Principle or Interest or both are not paid back for about 90 days on 91st  day the asset will become NPA(Non performing Asset).
*If borrower still not paid back to the Bank for up to 12 months then it become SUB STANDARD ASSET.
*If it has remained in the substandard category for a period of 12 months then  asset would be called as DOUBTFUL  ASSET.
*An asset that is an NPA for a period of more than 36 months is treated as a LOST ASSET. 
Such asset has been identified by the bank or internal or external auditors or by the RBI inspection but the amount has not been written off wholly. In other words, such an asset is considered uncollectible . And of such little value that its continuance as a bankable asset is not warranted, although there may be some salvage or recovery value.” 
In Future it may be recovered.
Conclusion :All NPAs are not LOST ASSET But All Lost Asset are NPAs.

Then we move towards Labors demand ....
Here the word DEMAND is referred by  many people and it will effectively utilized by management  also.

Definition of Fair Wages

General definition Fair wages refer to: ‘Company practices that lead to sustainable wage developments’. Extended definition: Fair wages refer to: ‘Wage levels and wage-fixing mechanisms that provide a living wage floor for workers, while complying with national wage regulations (such as the minimum wage, payment of wages, overtime payments, provision of paid holidays and social insurance payments), ensure proper wage adjustments and lead to balanced wage developments in the company (with regard to wage disparity, skills, individual and collective performance and adequate internal communication and collective bargaining on wage issues).’

the following information will help to know about Nominal and Real wage and justifies the right of workers fair wage.

Real wages

Definition

Real wages show the value of wages adjusted for inflation. Real wages are a guide to how living standards have changed.

For example, if nominal (actual) wages increased 5%, but inflation was 5%. This would mean the purchasing power of your wages had stayed the same. The net effect would be the same as a wage freeze (0% real increase)

However, if wages increase by 2%, and we have an inflation rate of 3%, your real wages is -1%. Prices have risen faster than wages, meaning you are worse off.

Inflation and nominal wages 

• When wages are growing faster than CPI inflation. Meaning real wages are rising.
• When inflation is generally higher than wages, causing negative real wage growth.

Real wages = nominal wages – inflation

.

• If nominal wages are growing by 2%, but we were experiencing CPI inflation of 3%
• Therefore real wages are effectively falling by 1%

Consumers are able to buy a smaller selection of goods and services, therefore, there is likely to a squeeze in spending on expensive ‘luxury items’.

 unemployment may  rise and  economically active can fall

Living standards and real wages

Real wages are not the only factor affecting living standards.

1. If we had a rise in tax rates, then this would reduce disposable income (after tax income)
2. If we saw a rise in living costs (e.g. housing costs, transport costs, heating) then this would reduce our discretionary income. (amount left over to spend after meeting essential living costs)

Difference between Nominal Wages and Real Wages

Economists have differentiated between nominal wages and real wages. Nominal wages are the wages received by a worker in the form of money.

Therefore, nominal wages are also called money wages. For example, a worker gets Rs. 200 from his/her organization in exchange of services rendered by him/her.

In this case, the amount of Rs. 200 is regarded as a nominal wage. On the other hand, real wages can be defined as the amount of goods and services that a worker purchases from his/her nominal wages. Therefore, real wages are the purchasing power of nominal wages.

According to classical theories, the supply of labor is determined by the real wages. However, according to Keynes, the supply of labor depends on the wages received in terms of money or nominal wages. Let us understand the difference between nominal wages and real wages with the help of an example. 

Suppose a worker earns Rs. 100 per day and his/her wages are increased to Rs. 120. In such a case, it is not necessary that his/her economic condition or purchasing power will increase.

The economic condition of a worker depends on the amount of goods and services he/she can purchase with nominal wages. In case, the prices of goods and services are doubled, the worker would need the double amount of his/her nominal wages what he/she is getting at present to purchase goods and services. Therefore, the economic condition of an individual is determined by his/her real wages.

The following is the formula for determining real wages:

Real Wage=(Nominal Wage/Level of Price)*100

                                                                                          W= (NW/P) * 100

India's case:

If price level of Goods and Service goes up(due to inflation) the Real wage will definitely goes down since Nominal Wage is fixed for certain years at least 5 Years.

In most of the cases 10 years .

Wage Payment Methods: 4 Top Methods of Wage Payment – Explained!

Some of the most important methods of wages payment are as follows: 

1. Minimum Wage 2. Living Wage 3. Fair Wage 4. Need-Based Minimum Wage.

Before we discuss the methods of wage payment, let us first know what wages means. In the widest sense, wages means any economic compensation paid to the employer under some contract to his woks for the services rendered by them.

Based on the needs of the workers, capacity of the employer to pay and the general economic conditions prevailing in a country, the committee on Fair Wages (1948) and the 15th session of the Indian Labour Conference (1957) propounded certain wage concepts such as minimum wage, fair wage, living wage and need based minimum wage. While the first three types (concepts) of wages were defined by the Committee on Fair Wages, the last one was defined by the 15th session of the Indian Labour Conference.

These definitions are considered here one by one:

1. Minimum Wage:

A minimum wage is a compensation to be paid by an employer to his workers irrespective of his ability to pay. The Committee on Fair Wage’ has defined minimum wage as “the wage must provide not only for the bare sustenance of life, but for the preservation of the efficiency of the workers. For this purpose, minimum wage must provide some measures of education, medical requirements and amenities”.

India introduced the Minimum Wages Act in 1948,giving both the Central government and State government jurisdiction in fixing wages. The act is legally non-binding, but statutory. Payment of wages below the minimum wage rate amounts to forced labour. Wage boards are set up to review the industry’s capacity to pay and fix minimum wages such that they at least cover a family of four’s requirements of calories, shelter, clothing, education, medical assistance, and entertainment. Under the law, wage rates in scheduled employments differ across states, sectors, skills, regions and occupations owing to difference in costs of living, regional industries' capacity to pay, consumption patterns, etc. Hence, there is no single uniform minimum wage rate across the country and the structure has become overly complex. The highest minimum wage rate as updated in 2012 is Rs. 322/day in Andaman and Nicobar and the lowest is Rs. 38/day in Tripura.

2. Living Wage:

A living wage is one which should enable the earner to provide for himself and his family not only the bare essentials of food, clothing and shelter but a measure of frugal comfort including education for his children, protection against ill-health, requirement of essential social’ needs and a measure of insurance against the more important misfortunes, including old-age. Thus, a living wage represents a standard of living. A living wage is fixed considering the general economic conditions of the country.

3. Fair Wage:

Fair wage, according to the committee on Fair Wage, is the wage which is above the minimum wage but below the living wage. The lower limit of the fair wage is obviously the minimum wage; the upper limit is set by the capacity of the industry to pay. The concept of fair wage is essentially linked with the capacity of the industry to pay.

The fair wage depends on considerations of such factors as:

(i) The productivity of labour,

(ii) The prevailing rates of wages in the same or neighbouring localities,

(iii) The level of the national income and its distribution, and

(iv) The place of the industry in the economy of the country.

4. Need-Based Minimum Wage:

The Indian Labour Conference in its 15th session held in July 1957 suggested that minimum wage should be need based and should ensure the minimum human needs of the industrial worker, irrespective of any other consideration.

The need-based minimum wage is calculated on the following bases:

(i) The standard working class family should be taken to consist of 3 consumption units for the earner; the earnings of women, children and adolescents should be disregarded.

(ii) The minimum food requirements should be calculated on the basis of the net intake of 2 700 calories, as recommended by Dr. Akroyd, for an average Indian adult of moderate activity.

(iii) The clothing requirements should be estimated at a per capita consumption of 18 yards per annum which would mean an average worker’s family of 4, a total of 72 yards.

(iv) In respect of housing, the norms should be the minimum rent charged by the Government in any area for houses provided under the Subsidized Housing Scheme for low income groups.

(v) Fuel, lighting and other miscellaneous items of expenditure should constitute 20 per cent of the total minimum wage.

However, the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 did not define minimum wage. While employers go by the definition given by the Committee on Fair Wages, 1948, expectedly Trade Unions like to consider the need based minimum wage concept.

Is Delay in revise the wage is justifiable...?

a million dollar question ... !!!

Just think : the wage of worker will fixed by the organization by bargaining mechanism with trade union . normal people theoretically think that workers union can demand more,if it so happen wage will be high may lead to price high of goods that produced by company .More wage with worker may leads to inflation .But practically workers demands will be least acceptable by the management ,it will tell its worker always that company is in bad condition.

.though it may revise wage of its management fellows and made dividend payment to its share holders and may project we are the best company to achieve thousands of crore turnover . 

Conclusion : In an organization both worker and management are equally important.when worker is prosperous the company will also prosperous.

Worker or Management it is shall be win win play ,not for lose win play .

No one can live happily alone by putting someone in trouble ,a great history of an Indian culture says "Live, Let Live "  

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