3 bills amending labour laws passed in HP Assembly after objection by Oppn

The amended Acts will be deemed to have come into force on July 9, 2020. Sections 22, 25 F and 25 K of Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, have been amended with the passage of the Industrial Disputes (Himachal Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2020.

The Himachal Pradesh Assembly passed three bills amending labor laws on the sixth day of the ongoing monsoon session on Monday. The bills -- the Industrial Disputes (Himachal Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Himachal Pradesh Amendment Bill, 2020, and the Factories (Himachal Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2020 -- were passed after objection by Congress MLA Jagat Prakash Negi and CPI(M) MLA Rakesh Singha. The amended Acts will be deemed to have come into force on July 9, 2020.

Sections 22, 25 F and 25 K of Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, have been amended with the passage of the Industrial Disputes (Himachal Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2020. Similarly, section 1 of the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970, has been amended with the passage of the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Himachal Pradesh Amendment Bill, 2020.

With the passage of the Factories (Himachal Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2020, sections 2, 65, 85, 106 A of Factories Act, 1948, have been amended. Presenting the bills, Industries minister Bikram Singh said that in the era of economic liberalization, some of the provisions of these acts have become outdated because these provisions have not been amended for the last so many years.

He said there is an urgent need to amend some provisions of these Acts for ease of doing business in the state, providing a conducive and business-friendly environment to the industrial establishments as well as to the workmen. The three ordinances promulgated a few months ago in this regard are being replaced by regular legislation without any modifications.