Lab Min to push Bill for workers' nominee on company boards

The Labour Ministry is planning to push a Bill that will enable workers to have their representative in board of directors of companies.

The Participation of Workers in Management Bill, 1990, seeks meaningful participation of workers in management at shop floor, establishment and board levels in firms.

"We are considering this Bill. The deliberations are going on... It seeks to increase participation of workers in management," Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya told PTI here.

The Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on May 30, 1990 after other schemes of the government for the purpose failed.

The Constitution was amended in 1975 with an eye on raising productivity, promoting industrial peace and creating a sense of involvement of workers in the enterprise.
 

The Article 43A was inserted in the Directive Principles of State Policy through this amendment. This Article provided that "the State shall take steps by suitable legislation or in any other way to secure the participation of workers in the management of undertakings, establishments or other organisations engaged in the industry".

The government had introduced a few schemes following the amendment. But the response fell short of the crease.

The Bill was introduced in 1990 to provide some legal backing, but the legislation could not be passed.

It provides for principle of secret ballot for determining representation of workmen on the shop floor and establishment level councils and of workmen and other workers on board of management.

It also talks of appointing inspectors for implementing the legislation. It had provided for a punishment of up to two years and a fine of up to Rs 20,000 or both.

All India Trade Union Congress Secretary D L Sachdev said, "There has been a lot of lip service on workers' participation in management. The employers are not in favour of this Bill. It has been pending for over two decades (since 1990)."

Earlier, Dattatreya inaugurated a newly-constructed building 'Shramik Shiksha Bhawan' in the presence of Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. He also renamed the Central Board for Workers Education as Dattopant Thengadi National Board for Workers Education & Development.