J&K's Uniform Employment Code

Why in news?

J&K has proposed a uniform Employment Code, in its state budget.
A similar code for the nation is worth consideration by the union government, to address concerns in the labour laws.

What does it aim for?

The proposed Employment Code plans to consolidate all the labour laws in force in the State.
It would set out the framework for terms of employment and service of all the workers.
This is however, except the domestic workers and agricultural labour.
The code would also provide for a strong, independent and separate labour judiciary.
A single Employment Code will provide workers, employers, trade unions, labour authorities, etc all information at one place.

What are the existing concerns with labour laws?

In India there are multiple labour laws at the national and state levels.
It is primarily due to constitutional division of legislative powers.
The multiplicity is also due to laws regulating workers in different sectors.
There are also dissimilarities between state and union labour laws (Click here to know more on this).
Concerns with applicability of these laws to service sector employees also exist.
Currently most of them are using laws governing shops and establishment.
Workers and at times employers are unable to decipher labour laws without legal help.
India also retains some outdated pre-Independence era laws.
These include the Fatal Accidents Act, 1855, Trade Unions Act, 1926, Payment of Wages Act, 1936 among others.

What is the way ahead?

Provisions of all labour laws should be relooked in terms of fixing the archaic provisions instead of mechanically consolidating.

Labour laws need to be formulated by taking the vision of ‘Ease of Living’ into consideration.
The draft laws should be easy to understand, simple and clear, and reduce disputes relating to interpretation.
Labour laws should balance the interests of different stakeholders such as workers, employers, trade unions and authorities.

Source: Business Standard