Efforts on to make labour laws simple: Minister

BANGALORE: The Union and State Governments are working towards making labour laws as simple as possible, Labour Minister B N Bache Gowda said on Saturday.Speaking at the inauguration of a national seminar on ‘Labour law reforms, concerns, challenges and imperatives’ organised by the National Institute of Personnel Management (NIPM), Karnataka chapter, he said labour laws are creating confusions among the labourers and officials.“Though the Government of Karnataka has amended several labour laws, still a majority of the laws which we are following were implemented in 1935, 1946 and 1954.This needs to be changed according to the changing needs of the people and time.” Fixation of minimum wages for all labour sector is another issue which needs quick attention, he said observing “Labour legislation seems to be least implemented in the State.Minimum wages for labourers varies from one job to another and this creates confusion.There should be common minimum wages fixed for all.” P D Shenoy, former Labour Secretary, Government of India, said, “There are about 150 labour laws.Labour inspectors have to study all the laws, understand, assimilate them and try to implement them.This is a very comprehensive task.” “In addition, flexibility in employment is required.If we have to attract FDI in the State, Karnataka Government has to make the labour laws flexible,” he added.Vasanth Kumar Kamila, Chairman, NIPM,Karnataka Chapter, Uma Shankar, Labour Commissioner, Karnataka, and other delegates were present.