Monday, March 15, 2021

Hazardous work OHS, in modern India, Salute to workers

This Sunday balmy Kolkata evening, one sight at railway crossing sprang my attention. Partly surprised,  yet not (India hai, chaltah hai syndrome) surprised. This young guy, trying to fix something (probably an electric line), crisscrossing the local suburban trains, near Dumdum Cantonment. Was it risky? (Video of his duty coming soon).

A quick Google, took me to a integration landing page.

In their blog, Ms. Ashima Obhan and Ms. Nishtha Jaisingh,  collectively pen down the 'Occupational Safety, health and working condition code', 2020, plus two other codes, (yet to be notified).

"The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (“OSH Code“) received the President’s assent on September 28, 2020 along with two other codes, all of which are yet to be notified by the Government. The OSH Code has subsumed several key pieces of legislation on the working conditions of labour and consolidated it into one comprehensive act, including, inter alia, the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970, the Factories Act, 1948, etc. The new codes are an exercise in ensuring a streamlining of the labour laws in the country. We take a look at some of the key provisions of the OSH Code below:
Key Definitions under the OSH Code 
Some of the important definitions that the OSH Code has amended are as follows:

Contract Labour: “Contract labour” has been defined as a worker deemed to be employed in/in connection with the work of an establishment when he is hired for such work through a contractor, with or without the knowledge of the principal employer. The definition excludes any worker (other than a part-time employee) who is regularly employed by the contractor for any activity of his establishment and such worker’s employment is governed by mutually accepted standards of conditions of employment and gets periodical increment in pay and other welfare benefits1."

The ILO reads, that the Occupational accidents and diseases have an impact not only on the lives of individual workers but also on the productivity and profitability of enterprises and ultimately, on the welfare of society. In response, governments, workers and employers across the world are increasing their efforts to prevent accidents and diseases at the workplace.

Thus, I wish our workers, post pandemic especially the Indian Railways, Kolkata metro, deep gratitude and thanks. Vinaka

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