PROBLEMS IN THE LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT SECTOR 1369. SHRI P. WILSON:

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

RAJYA SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1369 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.12.2021

PROBLEMS IN THE LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT SECTOR

1369. SHRI P. WILSON:

Will the Minister of Labour and Employment be pleased to state:

(a) whether Government has any data on the number of people in unorganized labour sector and steps being taken to regulate the unorganized labour sector in the country especially in the State of Tamil Nadu;
(b) whether Government has collected data to find out the number of persons who lost jobs during pandemic from 2020-21 and whether measures have been undertaken on welfare, rehabilitation and compensation to unorganized sector labourers who lost their livelihood during the Pandemic;
(c) whether Government has established any policies to revisit retrenchment laws for labourers and employees in light of pandemic; and
(d) if so, details thereof, if not, reasons therefor?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

(a) & (b): The data on employment/ unemployment is being collected through Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MOSPI) since 2017-18. As per the PLFS carried in the year 2017-18, the total employment in both organised and unorganised

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sector in the country was around 47 Crores. Out of this, around 9 Crores are engaged in the organised sector and the balance of 38 Crores is in the unorganised sector. The annual PLFS report covers the survey period from July to June. PLFS has recently released quarterly bulletin on Current Weekly Status (CWS) for urban areas. The latest release pertains to quarter ending July-September, 2020. As per the results of annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted during 2018-19 and 2019-20, the estimated Worker Population Ratio (WPR) and the estimated unemployment rate for persons of 15 years and above on usual status basis in the country is as follows:
(in percentage)
Year 2018-19 2019-20
WPR UR WPR UR
All India 47.3 5.8 50.9 4.8
WPR – Worker Population Ratio
UR – Unemployment Rate
During Covid–19 pandemic period, Union Government has
taken several measures for the benefits of workers, such as; creation of 39.51 lakh new job opportunities by crediting Rs.2583 crores in EPF accounts under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana (ABRY), benefits of Rs.2567 crores to retain 38.91 lakh low wage employees under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY), financial assistance of Rs.7413 crore to Building & other Construction Workers (BOCW), unemployment benefit under Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana (ABVKY), Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan (PMGKRA) generating 50.78 crore mandays with Rs.39,293 crores, working capital loan to street vendors under PM-SVA Nidhi Scheme, free food grain of 5 kg per person per month to all Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) beneficiaries and special training programme under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana in the selected districts having high concentration of returnee migrant workers.
Government has also increased MGNREGA wage to Rs.202 a
day from Rs.182 to benefit nearly 13.62 crore families.
Further, Ministry of Labour & Employment has launched eSHRAM portal, a National Database of the Unorganised Workers on 26.08.2021. It has been made available to the States/UTs for registration of around 38 crore unorganised workers on eSHRAM portal. As on 03.12.2021, over 10.33 crore unorganised workers have been registered on eSHRAM portal.
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(c) & (d): The Industrial Relations Code, 2020, notified on 29th September, 2020, provides for the obligation on the part of industrial establishments pertaining to mine, factory and plantation having three hundred or more workers to take prior permission of the appropriate Government before lay-off, retrenchment and closure with flexibility to the appropriate Government to increase the threshold to higher numbers, by notification.
At the time of retrenchment, the workers will be paid
compensation which shall be equivalent to fifteen days’ average pay, or average pay of such days as may be notified by the appropriate Government for every completed year of continuous service. In addition, the Code also sets up a re-skilling fund for training of retrenched workers. The fund has provision for the contribution of the employer of an amount equal to fifteen days’ wages last drawn by the worker immediately before the retrenchment or such other number of days, as may be notified by the Central Government and such other sources as may be prescribed by the appropriate Government. The fund has provision for crediting fifteen days’ wages last drawn by the worker to his account who is retrenched, within forty-five days of the retrenchment as may be prescribed. The IR Code, 2020 has not come into enforcement.

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