Ministry of Labour and Employment Conducts Public Grievance Disposal Review Meeting

Secretary Dawra emphasized the importance of qualitative grievance resolution, particularly concerning pending cases in subordinate organizations.

On February 12, 2025, Ms. Sumita Dawra, Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE), chaired the monthly Public Grievance Disposal Review Meeting at 11:00 AM. The primary focus was to discuss and evaluate the quality of grievance disposal processes and address the backlog of pending grievances within the Ministry. Senior officials from MoLE and its subordinate bodies, including the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), and the Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (CLC), attended the meeting. Key Discussions and Directives:

Review of Grievance Disposal Quality: Secretary Dawra emphasized the importance of qualitative grievance resolution, particularly concerning pending cases in subordinate organizations. Representatives from EPFO, ESIC, and CLC outlined their current processes aimed at ensuring swift and effective grievance redressal.

Implementation of Structured Review Mechanisms: The Secretary directed all subordinate organizations to adopt a structured review mechanism. This includes conducting weekly reviews at zonal, regional, and sub-regional levels, focusing on critical parameters such as:

Number of grievances received

Time taken for grievance disposal

Percentage of pending cases

Percentage of appeals received post-disposal

Analysis of Appeals and Enhanced Monitoring: It was mandated that all appeals received from April 2024 onwards be thoroughly analyzed. In regions where grievances are high or resolutions are delayed, Heads of Offices are instructed to conduct video conferencing sessions to monitor and expedite the process.

Third-Party Evaluation and Categorization: Secretary Dawra stressed the need for third-party evaluation mechanisms to assess both the types of grievances and the quality of their disposal. Organizations are required to categorize their zonal and regional offices based on their grievance redressal performance.

Capacity Building and Feedback Mechanisms: To improve grievance handling, periodic training sessions and workshops will be organized for employees. Additionally, government call centers will be leveraged to collect feedback directly from complainants, ensuring continuous improvement in the grievance redressal process.

Root-Cause Analysis and Systemic Reforms: Emphasizing the significance of root-cause analysis, the Secretary highlighted that understanding the underlying issues behind grievances is essential for driving systemic reforms. This approach, successfully implemented in EPFO, is expected to enhance governance practices and reduce the overall number of grievances.

Secretary Dawra concluded the meeting by reiterating the Ministry's commitment to transparent, timely, and qualitative grievance redressal. The directives issued aim to strengthen the grievance disposal framework across all subordinate offices, ensuring better service delivery and increased public trust in the Ministry's operations.