WOMEN LABOUR
- The Census of India (2001) has registered 60% of female population as workers numbering 127.22 million in absolute terms out of a total female population of 496 million.
- Amongst rural women workers, 87% are employed in agriculture as labourers and cultivators.
- Amongst the women workers in the urban areas, 80% are employed in unorganized sectors like household industries, petty trades and services, etc.
- A separate cell, namely, Women Labour Cell is functioning in the Ministry of Labour and Employment to address these problems.
- The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, Act stipulates payment of equal remuneration to men and women workers for the same work of a similar nature. The Act also prohibits any gender discrimination in recruitment and service conditions.
- Under the Act, a Committee has been set up at the Centre, to advise the government on providing increasing employment opportunities to women and generally reviewing the steps taken for effective implementation of the Act.
- The State Governments and Union Territory Administrations also set up similar committees.
- The Central Advisory Committee at the National level and Advisory Committees at the State level along with competent authorities; oversee the process of implementation of the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976.
- Further, the Women Cell in the Ministry is also administering Grants-in-Aid Scheme for the welfare of women labour.
- The Supreme Court of India in its landmark judgment dated 13 August, 1997, in the matter of Vishakha and others vs. the State of Rajasthan and others, laid down detailed guidelines / norms for prevention of sexual harassment of women workers at workplaces. These guidelines have the force of law under Article 141 of the Constitution.
- To make the guidelines applicable to employees in the private sector, the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 has also been amended suitably.
BONDED LABOUR
- The issue of ‘bonded labour’ came to forefront in national politics, when it was included in the old 20-Point Programme in 1975.
- To implement this, Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Ordinance was promulgated. This was later replaced by the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.
- It freed unilaterally all the bonded labourers from bondage with simultaneous liquidation of their debts.
- The Act also provides for constitution of Vigilance Committees at the district and sub-divisional level for implementation of the provisions of the law.
- The Act provides for imprisonment up to three years and fine up to Rs.2000 whoever compels any person to render any bonded labour and whoever advances any bonded debt.
- Under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, identification and release of bonded labourers and rehabilitation of freed bonded labourers is the direct responsibility with the State Government concerned.
- Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labour the assistance has increased from Rs.10000/- to Rs.20,000/ per bonded labour, provision has also been made for giving Central grants to the States/ UTs for awareness generation, survey of bonded labour and evaluatory studies.
- As per the modified scheme, 10 lakhs are provided per annum to State Government for creating awareness generation, Rs.2 lakh per district for survey of bonded labourers once in 3 years in a district and Rs.5 lakhs per annum for conducting evaluatory studies.