This refers to the report "Labour reforms: Govt to ease rules on apprentices, women" (July 27). The incremental changes that the government is contemplating in the three labour laws are welcome. In one of his articles, T N Ninan had proposed to bring down huge subsidies gradually but steadily, rather than steeply. The same micro-level approach could be adopted to modify our numerous employee-related laws. It will ease doing business at the operating level and not invite trade union opposition.
However, the reported move to drop the imprisonment provision for defaulting employers under the Apprentices Act, 1961, may misfire. The skill development programme will get a boost if the prison clauses are made mandatory. The relaxation in working hours for women employees will create more job opportunities. Hopefully, adequate safeguards for their safe working during night shifts will be provided as is done for women employees in the information technology sector.
Y G Chouksey Pune
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