Creating Employment opportunities

whether the Government is planning to provide employment to people working in companies, factories, industries, malls, shops and media personnel who lost their jobs at the time of Corona pandemic and Worldwide lockdown and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether the Government has any plans to bring new law for their safety and provide any kind of financial assistance; (c) whether the Government has framed any law for such employees and labourers who have not got their full salary so far; and (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, whether the Government is formulating any policy in this regard?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR) (a) to (d) : Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana (ABRY) Scheme has been launched by the Government to incentivize creation of new employment along with social security benefits and restoration of loss of employment during COVID-19 pandemic. This scheme being implemented through the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), reduces the financial burden of the employers of various sectors/industries including MSMEs and encourages them to hire more workers. Under ABRY, Government of India is crediting for a period of two years, both the employees’ share (12% of wages) and employers’ share (12% of wages) of contribution payable or only the employees’ share, depending on employment strength of the EPFO registered establishments. The Government is providing fiscal stimulus of more than rupees twenty seven lakh crore as part of the Aatmanirbhar financial Package specifically to create employment opportunities for migrant workers, workers for unorganised sector, strengthening of MSME Sector and promoting rural economy. To boost employment and livelihood opportunities for migrant workers returning to villages, in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak, Government of India has launched Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan (GKRA) on 20th June 2020 for six states. PM-SVANidhi Scheme facilitates collateral free working capital loan upto Rs.10,000/- for one-year tenure to street vendors, to resume their businesses. Under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY), Government of India has contributed both 12% employer’s share and 12% employee’s share under Employees Provident Fund (EPF), totaling 24% of the wage for the wage month from March to August, 2020 for the establishments having upto 100 employees with 90% of such employees earning less than Rs. 15000/-. Under the PMGKY scheme Rs 2567.66 crore was credited in EPF accounts of 38.82 lakhs eligible employees. ESIC provides relief to the insured persons(IP) in contingency of unemployment under Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana under which cash relief is paid for a period of maximum 90 days, provided the IP was in insurable employment for at least two years before being unemployed. The scheme which was initially implemented on a pilot basis for a period of two years, came into force on 01.07.2018. ESI Corporation has extended this scheme for another one-year i.e. from 01.07.2020 to 30.06.2021, with enhanced quantum of relief from 25 % to 50% of the average daily earning and relaxation of eligibility conditions for the Insured Persons who became unemployed from 24.03.2020 onwards. The Government has notified four Labour Codes; namely, the Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial Relations Codes, 2020, the Codes on Social Security, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. Codification of the Labour Laws will inter alia, reduce multiplicity of definitions & authorities, facilitate implementation & use of technology in enforcement of labour laws and bring transparency & accountability in enforcement which would promote setting up of more enterprises, thus catalysing the creation of employment opportunities in the country. It would also promote setting up of industries by reducing rigidity of labour market and facilitate hassle free compliance. *****