March 21, 2002

    The Labour Minister Shri Sharad Yadav asserted in the Rajya Sabha today that the government is under no pressure from any quarters to amend the labour laws. Replying to supplementaries during the Question Hour today, Shri Yadav said that the government is flexible on the question of amending the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. He said that the Prime Minister has made it clear that labour reforms would be discussed in detail. Shri Yadav said that we would discuss with social partners the issue of fixing the number of workers employed by establishments for exemption under the I.D. Act. He said the objective of amending the Act was to strengthen the existing legislation which has proved ineffective in preventing retrenchments and closures. The Minister denied that Second National Labour Commission is being ignored. He said that it was the present government that extended the term of the Commission and added that its views would be given due consideration but we cannot stop discussing labour reforms till the Commission’s report is made available.