Govt considering demands of unions, labour minister informs Lok Sabha

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 19

Union Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar on Monday informed the Lok Sabha that consideration of demands of trade unions and making of further improvement in the benefits available to workers by the government is a continuous process.

In a written reply to a question, Gangwar further said that contractual workers working in establishments having ten or more workmen avail social security and other benefits under the Employees’ Compensation Act (1923), the Employees’ State Insurance Act (1948), the Industrial Dispute Act (1947), the Minimum Wages Act (1948), the Provident Funds Act (1925), the Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act (1952), the Maternity Benefit Act (1961), the Payment of Gratuity Act (1972), etc.

Further, it has been the constant endeavour of the government to ensure that the unorganised workers, including contractual workers engaged in establishments having less than ten workers, get social security benefits as available to the workers in the organised sector.

With this objective, the government is implementing the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008.

It stipulates formulation of suitable welfare schemes for the workers on matters relating to life and disability cover, health and maternity benefits, old age protection.

Various Union Ministries/Departments are implementing security schemes. They include Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (Ministry of Rural Development); National Family Benefit Scheme (Ministry of Rural Development); Health & Maternity Benefit Scheme (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare).  

The minister further said that provisions under the Employees Scheme (EPS) are revised periodically.

The government vide Gazette Notification dated August 19,2014, decided to  provide a minimum pension of Rs 1,000 per month for member/ widow(er)/ disabled/ nominee/dependent parent pensioners, Rs 750 per month for orphan pensioners and Rs 250 per month for children pensioners.

Further, the government raised the ceiling of pensionable salary limit under the scheme from Rs 6500 per month to Rs 15, 000 per month from September1, 2014.