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Parliament passes bill to provide better benefits to workers
Parliament today approved an amendment bill to provide better compensation to the working class in case of injury or death.
Parliament on Tuesday approved an amendment bill to provide better compensation to the working class in case of injury or death.
To make it gender neutral, the Workmen's Compensation Act has also been rechristened as Employees' Compensation law.
The Workmen's Compensation (Amendment) Bill, 2009 was passed in the Rajya Sabha today while Lok Sabha had approved it on November 25.
Responding to members' demand to raise the compensation further, Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge said, "There is an enabling clause that gives power to the government to raise it (compensation)."
The clause has been added to empower the government to hike compensation through notification, without coming to Parliament, he added.
The Bill seeks to raise the payment in case of permanent disability from Rs 90,000 to Rs 1.40 lakh. In case of death, the amount of compensation has been raised from Rs 80,000 to Rs 1.20 lakh. The amount of Rs 2,500 given to the workmen for performing last rites has also been increased to Rs 5,000.
The bill also provides for settlement of workmen compensation case within three months of filing of claim, the minister said adding the law would be made effective soon as both Houses have approved it.
He said a new provision, which provides for reimbursement of actual medical expenses, would help the labour force.
