New Delhi, December 3 (IANS). According to the information given by the Central Government on Wednesday, the new label code is an important step towards protecting the well-being and dignity of workers in the beedi and cigar sector with stronger wage protection, safety and health standards and extended social security benefits.
The sector is now more formalized than before, leading to a stronger regulatory framework that provides greater stability and security to the livelihoods of workers across the country.
Under the previous Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966, workers in this sector had to work under less protection. A typical working day could extend up to nine hours.
With the new Labor Code, the normal working day has been uniformly fixed at 8 hours and the weekly limit of 48 hours has been retained as before. Overtime has been decided to be paid at double the rate of normal wages.
Apart from this, employees have also been given the right to get a free health checkup done every year. The new labor code ensures that no employer can pay less than the minimum wage to an employee. Earlier the minimum wage was applicable only to the listed employments, but now it will be applicable to all employees.
Apart from this, it has been made mandatory for salary payment to be timely. The employer must issue salary slips to the employees in electronic or physical form before or at the time of payment of salary.
According to the official statement, the central government will decide the base salary of the employees keeping in mind the minimum standard of living like food and clothing. The Central Government will also amend it from time to time.
The government will set occupational safety and health standards for cleanliness, drinking water, toilets, rest rooms, canteens etc. and workplaces dealing with beedis and cigars.
–IANS
SKT/