The members urged the Centre to reconvene the yearly Indian Labour Convention, which was last held in 2015

The members urged the Centre to reconvene the yearly Indian Labour Convention, which was last held in 2015

Subject: Polity

Section: National Organization

Context: Discussion in RS on Working of Ministry of Labour and employment

Concept:

• The Indian Labour Conference (ILC) is the apex level tripartite consultative committee in the Ministry of Labour & Employment to advise the Government on the issues concerning working class of the country.
• As a matter of practice, and to maintain continuous dialogue with social partners, meetings of this apex body are convened once in a year to discuss the topical issues concerning labour.
• The first meeting of the Indian Labour Conference (then called Tripartite National Labour Conference) was held in 1942 and as on July 2015 a total of 46 Sessions have been held.
• ILC plays a very important role in policy formulation. For instance, the norms recommended by the Indian Labour Conference, held in 1957, are taken into account while fixing the minimum wages even now. These recommendations are as follows:
• 3 consumption units for one earner.
• Minimum food requirements of 2700 calories per average Indian adult.
• Clothing requirements of 72 yards per annum per family.
• Rent corresponding to the minimum area provided for under Government’s Industrial Housing Scheme.
• Fuel, Lighting and other miscellaneous items of expenditure to constitute 20% of the total minimum wage.
• All the 12 Central Trade Union Organisations, Central Organisations of employers, all State Governments and Union Territories and Central Ministries/Departments concerned with the agenda items, are the members of the ILC.
• Parity in number of representatives is maintained between the Employers’ and Workers’ Groups by allocation of equal number of seats to each Group.
• As recommended by the National Labour Conference held in September 17-18, 1982, only Trade Union Organisations, which have, a membership of more than five lakhs, spread over four States and four industries are given representation in the ILC.
• The Central Trade Union Organisations represented in ILC include –
• Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, (BMS)
• Indian National Trade Union Congress, (INTUC)
• All India Trade Union Congress, (AITUC)
• Hind Mazdoor Sabha,
• Centre of Indian Trade Unions, (CITU)
• All India United Trade Union Centre,
• Trade Union Coordination Centre, (TUCC)
• Self Employed Women’s Association, (SEWA)
• All India Central Council of Trade Union,
• Labour Progressive Federation,
• United Trades Union Congress,
• National Front of Indian Trade Unions. (DHN)

The Employers Organisations represented in ILC include,

• Council of Indian Employers {(Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE), Employers’ Federation of India (EFI) & All India Organisation of Employers (AIOE)},
• All India Manufacturers’ Organization(AIMO),
• Laghu Udyog Bharati (LUB),
• Confederation of Indian Industry (CII),
• Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) &
• The Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

The Government seats are determined so as to give representation to various Central Ministries, State Governments and Union Territories.

India being a founding member of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and also a permanent member of the Governing Body since 1922 as a country of Chief Industrial importance is deeply committed to provide decent quality employment to the vast workforce in accordance with the Decent Work Agenda of the ILO.