From having perks for women to ensuring minimum wages and eliminating child labour, the new labour policy in Kerala has many highlights in it. The Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday gave the policy the go-ahead.
One of the highlights of the new policy is the creche facility that will set-up in association with the Social Justice Department, apart from a creche cess in those establishments employing women.
The new policy also proposes strong steps to eliminate child labour, apart from stressing on the welfare of migrant workers.
The policy promotes the comprehensive and sustainable development of the state. The minimum wage has been fixed at Rs 600 per day.
Minister for Labour TP Ramakrishnan said that the government’s intention was to ensure an ordinary worker gets enough each day.
A new legislation, as per the policy, will be brought in apart from amendments to the existing law to protect the interest of the workers. In the legislation, minimum wages will be ensured in those sectors that do not fall under the ambit of the Minimum Wages Act.
Also, the Labour Department will soon launch a survey to ascertain the actual number of unemployed persons who are registered in employment exchanges across the state. According to the minister, as many as 35 lakh people are registered in these exchanges.
"The objective of the survey is to to find out how many are employed and how many are jobless,” Ramakrishnan added.
The government also plans to open Employability Centres in all districts. The policy also promises skill development programmes for job aspirants.
Strengthening of employer-employee relations will be ensured to reduce the number of labour disputes. A labour bank will also be set up for the protection of domestic workers. It also proposes to end the practice of asking wages for work not actually done.