Standing Committee invites views, suggestions on OSH Code

The Code will replace 13 labour laws relating to safety, health and working conditions, including the Factories Act, 1948, the Mines Act, 1952, and the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970.

The OSH Code applies to establishments employing at least 10 workers, and to all mines and docks, along with providing for special provisions for certain types of establishments and classes of employees, such as factories, mines, and building and construction workers.

The Code proposes one registration for an establishment instead of multiple registrations; at present, six labour acts from 13 provide for separate registration of the establishment. The Code also provides for one licence and one return instead of multiple licenses and returns in the existing 13 labour laws, which will be subsumed in the Code.

A National Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Board, having tripartite representation from trade unions, employer associations, state governments,has been proposed in the Code in place of multiple committees under five labour Acts at present.

Women, after their consent, would be permitted to work beyond 7 pm and before 6 am subject to the safety, holidays, working hours or any other condition as prescribed by the state or the central government.

Apart from the OSH Code, the Centre has proposed three labour codes by amalgamating various labour laws, out of which the Code on Wages, 2019 has already received legislative approval and the draft of Social Security Code has been circulated for public comments and which has been opposed recently by trade unions, including RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh.