[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With a view to bring about ease of doing business, the Ministry of Labour and Employment (“Ministry”) has notified the Ease of Compliance to Maintain 
Registers under various Labour Laws Rules, 2017 (“Rules”) effective 21st February, 2017.
These Rules provide for maintenance of combined registers in the Forms specified in the Schedule either electronically or otherwise and used for the purposes of the below-mentioned enactments:
i. Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 (27 of 1996);
ii. Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 (37 of 1970);
iii. Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 (25 of 1976);
a) Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 (30 of 1979);
b) Mines Act, 1952 (35 of 1952)
c) Minimum Wages Act, 1948 (11 of 1948);
vii. Payment of Wages Act, 1936 (4 of 1936);
viii. Sales Promotion Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1976 (11 of 1976);
The Rules lay down that in case a register is maintained electronically, the layout and presentation of the register needs to be adjusted without changing the integrity, serial number and contents of the columns of the register, but not otherwise. The Rules also brings about amendments to some of the Labour Laws.
The Labour Ministry has also simultaneously undertaken to develop a software for these common registers. After development of software, those will be put on Shram Suvidha Portal for free download with an aim to facilitate maintenance of those registers in a digitised form.
This exercise will significantly reduce the number of registers being maintained by establishments by doing away with overlapping/ redundant fields which will help these establishments to save cost and efforts and ensure better compliance of Labour Laws.
Background:
The Draft Ease of Compliance to Maintain Registers under various Labour Laws Rules, 2016 (“Draft Rules”) was issued by the Ministry on 4th November, 2016. The Draft Rules were previously published by the Ministry for the information of all persons likely to be affected. These Draft Rules had been taken up for consideration on the expiry of 3 months from the Date of Issuance i.e. on 4th February, 2017.
The Rules have been formulated by the Ministry for the ease of, and for the expedient compliance of the requirements of the various labour laws and for the purpose of maintaining combined registers under all such laws. This step is initiated to make records easily accessible to the public through electronic means and also increase transparency.
Number of Registers down from 56 to just five; Free downloads for easy digitisation:
The Centre has simplified Labour department procedures related to maintaining registers so as to give benefit to nearly 4.54 crore non-agriculture sector establishments, Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya has said.
The Ministry has brought down the number of registers to five from 56 with the regard to nine Central Labour Laws and this would save efforts, cost and lessen the compliance burden on these establishments. This has been done to do away with overlapping fields in the laws. Similarly the Ministry would develop a software, which will be put on the ‘Shram Suvidha Portal’ for free download with an aim to facilitate maintenance of the registers in a digitised form.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
