Assam Tables Bill To Decriminalize Labour Law

To improve "ease of doing business," the Assam government on Tuesday introduced 10 pieces of legislation to change the labour law that pertains to employees in the private sector.

The incarceration penalty has been eliminated from all of the proposals, but the fine has increased significantly.

Minister of labour welfare 

On the first day of the Winter Session, Sanjay Kishan, Minister of Labour Welfare, introduced the legislation in the Assam Assembly and noted that the proposed revisions had been brought to decriminalise labour laws by introducing civil penalties.

He stated, "The rationale behind decriminalization is that jail is too severe a consequence for economic violations that do not entail mala fide," in a similar manner in each of the ten measures' Statement of Objects and Reasons.

Employers' worry is "greatly increased" by the labour process surrounding a crime that could result in imprisonment, and the decriminalization proceedings "improve the convenience of doing business," the author continued.

According to Kishan, one of the main causes of limited corporate investment is criminal sanctions, particularly the possibility of incarceration for many unintentional infractions.

The minister argued that this would guarantee worker rights while relieving companies of their fear of incarceration.

New legislations 

The "Minimum Wages (Assam Amendment) Bill, 2022," "The Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess (Assam Amendment) Bill, 2022," "The Plantations Labour (Assam Amendment) Bill, 2022," and "The Industrial Disputes (Assam Amendment) Bill, 2022" are among the legislation that has been introduced.

The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) (Assam Amendment) Bill, 2022; The Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) (Assam Amendment) Bill, 2022; and The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Services) (Assam Amendment) Bill, 2022 were also introduced by Kishan.

Other bills 

Several other bills were also introduced in the House at the same time, including "The Equal Remuneration (Assam Amendment) Bill, 2022," "The Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Condition of Service) (Assam Amendment) Bill," and "The Payment of Gratuity (Assam Amendment) Bill, 2022."