Small Factories Bill Likely to Come Up in Next Parliament Session

Hyderabad: The The Small Factories (Facilitation and Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Services) Bill, 2015, which aims to regulate the employment and other conditions of service of employees employed in small factories, is likely to be tabled in next Parliament session.

"I have already completed the entire process. I feel that in the forthcoming Session of Parliament it (The Small Factories Bill) will come up. Definitely, I am hopeful of getting the Bill passed... it is in workers interest," Union Minister of State for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya said today.

The Bill seeks to be exempt from the purview of six labour laws as it incorporates the essential elements of the Factories Act, 1948, The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, The Minimum Wages Act, 1948, The Payment of Wages Act, 1936, and The Shops and Establishment Acts of respective states, he said.

The proposed law would mainly combine provisions of various labour laws applicable to small factories at one place, thus facilitating ease of compliance and reporting.

The minister said that the proposed law will be beneficial to workers as provision has been made for severance compensation to them in case of retrenchment, lay-off and closure, to be 45-days of wages from the present 15-days under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.

The draft legislation proposes for timely payment of wages and deductions in the wages for all workers employed in all small factories, he said.

The Bill also proposes a Grievance Redressal Committee (GRC) with representatives from employers and workers to be set up in every small factory employing 10 or more workers.

There is a provision for employment of women for night work with adequate transportation for the safety of the women worker in addition to adequate security.

It also provides for provision of compounding of offences and the 'Inspector' would be replaced by 'facilitator', Mr Dattatreya said adding that the labour ministry has held tripartite consultations on this bill.