India, Dec. 6 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
Key Takeaways
Flexible and Fair Working Conditions
Health and Occupational Safety Provisions
Improved Facilities and Leave Entitlements
Strengthened Safety Framework
The new Labour Codes strengthen financial and social protection for mine workers through clearer entitlements, expanded coverage, and portable benefits. They promote transparency and uniform welfare standards across the sector.
Women's Safety and Youth Welfare
Stronger Social Protection
Introduction
India's Mining sector plays a major role in the country's economic development, providing important raw materials, employment opportunities, export promotion and revenue for the Government. With the sustained growth of Indian economy, the demand for mineral and mining resources continues to rise.
India has long prioritized strong safeguards to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of mine workers. Until recently, the Mines Act, 1952 and related regulations governed mining labour conditions, providing the foundational framework for worker protection that is now being modernized. The new Labour Codes, particularly the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH&WC) Code, 2020 and the Social Security (SS) Code, 2020, have subsumed several laws including the old Mines Act.
These new Codes introduce transformative reforms to empower mine workers and simultaneously promote ease of doing business in the mining industry. They bring standardization in the statutory norms for occupational safety, health and working conditions for mine workers. By addressing long-standing issues, the codes empower workers with better rights and safety while also simplifying regulatory burdens for employers.
Evolution of Worker Protections
Prior to the implementation of the new Labour Codes, the mining sector was governed primarily by the Mines Act, 1952 and other old laws. Under this regime:
While these provisions laid out the initial foundation, they were fragmented and outdated, no longer aligning with modern standards of worker safety, social security, or the ease of doing business in a globally integrated economy.
Comprehensive Reforms for Safer, Fairer Workplaces
The OSH&WC Code, 2020 and the SS Code, 2020 consolidate and strengthen the earlier provisions. They create uniform standards across India, simplify compliance, extend social security coverage, increase worker protections, and provide more flexibility in working conditions.
These provisions offer workers better balance through flexible weekly schedules and assured rest intervals. They also improve welfare by preventing fatigue, ensuring regulated working hours, and guaranteeing fair compensation.
These provisions enable early detection of diseases, help reduce medical expenses, and support the development of a healthier, more productive workforce. They also promote preventive healthcare and significantly reduce long-term occupational risks.
These measures improve worker well-being by creating a more supportive and comfortable workplace, strengthening access to essential facilities. They also make it easier for workers to qualify for paid leave, allowing adequate rest and recovery.
These provisions emphasize on health, safety and welfare of the workers employed in a mine. By creating uniform standards across India, it also reduces compliance requirements for employers, improving ease of doing business. It also ensures that workers receive consistent and reliable safety and welfare protections nationwide.
Social Security Reforms Enhancing Welfare and Dignity
These provisions benefit employees by ensuring transparency in employment, wages, designation, and social security, helping avoid disputes or misunderstandings regarding wages and work hours. They collectively improve medical access, financial security, and long-term protection for mine workers and their families, while ensuring social-security benefits across India.
This helps in expanding safe employment opportunities for women, support maternal health through extended maternity benefits, and strengthen protection for the youth.
Streamlined Compliance and Ease of Doing Business
The new Codes simplify compliance processes, reduce administrative and legal burdens, and make regulatory requirements more transparent. They support smoother inspections, faster resolution of issues, and a digital compliance environment, improving processes for employers and mine management.
Conclusion
Building on a regime of comprehensive benefits and uniform safeguards, India is laying the foundation for sustained development in the mining sector. The new Labour Codes have created a holistic framework that empowers mine workers through better working hours, health and safety standards, social security, and gender-inclusive practices, while also providing employers with the flexibility and clarity needed to maintain these standards.
These reforms exemplify how worker empowerment and ease of doing business can go hand in hand, ultimately contributing to the socio-economic progress of the country.
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Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
