The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has addressed the National Conference of Labour Ministers of all States and Union Territories via video conferencing today. Union Ministers Shri Bhupender Yadav and Shri Rameshwar Teli and Labour Ministers of States were among those present on the occasion.
The Prime Minister began his address by bowing down to Lord Tirupati Balaji. The Prime Minister emphasised that India’s labour force has a huge role to play in realizing India’s dreams and aspirations to build a developed nation in the Amrit Kaal, and with this thinking, the country is working continuously for crores of workers from the organised and unorganised sector.
The Prime Minister reiterated the various efforts by the Government like Pradhan Mantri Shram-Yogi Maandhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana that have given a kind of security cover to the workers. These schemes have assured the labourers of the recognition of their hard work and contribution. The Prime Minister also said, “The Emergency Credit Guarantee Scheme, according to a study, saved 1.5 crore jobs during the pandemic.” He continued “We are seeing that just as the country supported its workers in their time of need, in the same way, the workers have put their full strength into recovering from this epidemic.” The Prime Minister said that today India has once again become the fastest growing economy in the world, so a lot of credit goes to our workers, he said.
The Prime Minister pointed out that the e-Shram portal is one of the key initiatives to bring the labour force into the ambit of social security. In just one year, about 28 crore workers from 400 areas have been registered on the portal. This has especially benefited construction workers, migrant labourers, and domestic workers. He requested all the ministers to integrate state portals with the e-Shram portal.
He further added that in the last eight years, the Government has taken the initiative to abolish the laws from the period of slavery that reflect the slavery mentality. “The country is now changing, reforming, simplifying such labour laws.”, the Prime Minister said. “With this in mind, 29 labour laws have been converted into 4 simple labour codes”. This will ensure the empowerment of workers via minimum wages, job security, social security, and health security, he added.
The Prime Minister reiterated the need to change as per the changing scenario. He emphasised the need to take full advantage of the fourth industrial revolution by taking quick decisions and implementing them rapidly. In the light of platform and gig economy and online facilities, the Prime Minister stressed the need to be alive towards the emerging dimensions of work. “Right policies and efforts in this area will help in making India a global leader”, he said.
