Minister for Labour, Planning and Development Ajay Kumar Sadhotra today sought effective implementation of Labour laws and emphasized the need for redressing the grievances of laborers in a time bound manner. Reviewing the functioning of Labour Department in the Jammu region at a high level meeting here this evening, the Minister said labour welfare is priority of the government and in order to improve their living conditions, several initiatives have been taken during the past five years.He made a mention of Employees Compensation Act, Payment of Wages Act and Payment of Gratuity Act and said these are landmark measures for mitigating the sufferings of skilled and unskilled work force and to enhance their quality of life. He hoped that the officers concerned would make use of these legal provisions to better the lot of this important segment of society and their families.
Sadhotra exhorted the officers to make the department more vibrant so that it can assuage the urges and aspirations of the work force. "The department is assigned crucial job of improving the lot of poor segments of the society", he maintained and asked the officers to treat them with compassion.The Minister said that forward looking initiatives taken during the past five years pertaining to the living conditions of the labour class, training and apprentices of their children, skill development, health and safety and mechanism to offset disputes need to be implemented in a systematic manner to ensure that the targeted segment of the society leads a better life.
Mr Sadhotra called upon the officers to coordinate between employers and the employees for achieving better synergy between the two. “This will reduce the scope for litigation and putting laborers’ to undue harassment”, he said.Present in the meeting included Secretary to Government Labour Department Mr Bashir Ahmed Runiyal, Labour Commissioner Mrs Nirmal Sharma besides Assistant Labour Commissioners of the Jammu pision.