Wage ceiling for workman raised to ₹10,000 monthly under amendment bill

This Bill amends the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 to allow workers to directly approach Labour Courts or Tribunals for disputes regarding discharge, dismissal, or retrenchment, and to establish mandatory Grievance Redressal Committees in industrial establishments with twenty or more workers.

Who it concerns: Industrial establishments employing twenty or more workmen, workmen (employees), employers, Labour Courts, Tribunals, National Tribunals, and the Central and State Governments.

What the bill does

• Increases the wage ceiling for the definition of a 'workman' from 1,600 rupees to 10,000 rupees per month.
• Allows workmen to apply directly to a Labour Court or Tribunal for adjudication of disputes arising from discharge, dismissal, retrenchment, or termination of service after three months from the date of application to the Conciliation Officer, provided it is within three years of the termination.
• Mandates the setting up of a Grievance Redressal Committee in every industrial establishment employing twenty or more workmen, consisting of equal numbers of employer and workman representatives (max 6 members), with a requirement to include women members where practicable.
• Expands the qualifications for Presiding Officers of Labour Courts and Tribunals to include Deputy Chief Labour Commissioners, Joint Commissioners of State Labour Departments, and officers of the Indian Legal Service in Grade III with specific experience.
• Empowers Labour Courts, Tribunals, and National Tribunals to execute their awards, orders, or settlements through Civil Courts as if they were decrees passed by the Civil Court.
• Amends the definition of 'appropriate Government' to include central public sector undertakings, their subsidiaries, and autonomous bodies owned or controlled by the Central Government under the Central Government's jurisdiction.

Also in the document

• The Bill is an amendment to the existing Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
• The establishment of Grievance Redressal Committees does not affect the right of a workman to raise an industrial dispute under the Act.
• The Bill delegates power to the Central Government to make rules regarding the salaries and terms of appointment for Presiding Officers.