Labour Min extends date for comments on workers safety code

New Delhi: The labour ministry has extended the dateline for receiving comments from stakeholders on its proposed labour code on safety and working conditions of workers until May 31, 2018.

Earlier, the comments were invited by April 22, 2018. The date for giving comments on 'Labour Code on Occupation Safety, Health and Working Conditions, 2018' has been extended up to May 31, 2018, the labour ministry said in a notification.

As per the recommendation of the National Commission on Labour, the Ministry of Labour and Employment has been taking steps for simplification, amalgamation and rationalisation of central labour laws.

On this, various existing acts are being proposed to be subsumed in four labour codes -- on wages, industrial relations, social security and occupational safety and health and working conditions.

The labour ministry had prepared a preliminary draft on Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions, 2018 by amalgamating 13 labour laws relating to safety, and health standards, health and working conditions, welfare provisions for the employees and leave and hours of work.

"Your specific input/suggestions are requested on the various aspects of the code including threshold/applicability, the registration/licensing and processes there of, ...the broad aspects on working and health conditions, safety standards, welfare measures, enforcement mechanism, penalties, rule making powers of the central and state governments," Labour Ministry said.

As per the draft code, it will be the responsibility of the employer for maintaining health and working conditions of its employees related to cleanliness and hygiene, ventilation, temperature, humidity, dust and noxious free environment, potable drinking water, adequate lighting, among others.

"The employer shall be responsible to provide and maintain in his establishment welfare facilities for the workers of such standard as may be prescribed by the Central Government," says the draft code.

On work hours, it suggests that no worker shall be required or allowed to work for (i) more than forty-eight hours in a week; (ii) nine hours in a day subject to hours of work specified in clause (i); and (iii) the periods of work in each day shall be so fixed that no period shall exceed five hours and there shall be half an hour of interval after each such period.

For those working in mines, the persons employed below ground in a mine shall not be allowed to work for more than eight hours in any day, as per the draft and that no work shall be carried on below ground in any mine except by a system of shifts and the period of work for each shift is not spread over more than the daily maximum limit.

"No person employed in a mine shall be allowed to be present in any part of a mine below ground except during the periods of work shown in respect of him in the register maintained under subsection (1) of section 33," it added.