Plantation Labor Act for major changes

The Plantation labor Act 1951 is set for major changes. The inter-ministerial and intra-ministerial review committees formed by the Union ministry of commerce & industry and the labor ministry respectively, have narrowed in on the desired changes and the amendment bill is expected to come up in the Winter Session of the Parliament.

One of the proposed changes in the PL Act that enjoys the consent of both the review committees, is in the definition of "employer" with regard to the plantation industries. As of now, in the PL Act terminology, "employer" refers to one in command of the affairs of a plantation, practically the manager of a tea estate.

It has been proposed that the term "employer" be modified to include the lessee, partners and MD of a plantation in its ambit, as the manager is often a paid staff and not a owner.

"The proposed change, which would definitely sail through, would be a major step towards protecting the interests of plantation workers. For, the estate owners would not be able to shift the responsibility on managers and thus would become accountable to the workforce," said Mr Aloke Chakravorty, the workers' representative in the Union commerce & industry ministry's review committee.

The other major changes proposed are, extension of the employees' state insurance facility to the plantation workers, inclusion of contract workers in the scope of plantation workers by raising the wage ceiling to Rs 6,500 per month and inclusion of a widow sister in the scope of family of a plantation worker.

The commerce & industry ministry review committee, headed by Mr OP Arya, additional secretary in the ministry of commerce, has met five times so far to formulate the proposed amendments. Another crucial meeting of the review committee is scheduled tomorrow at Udyog Bhawan in New Delhi, which is likely to come up with the final draft proposal for the much-awaited amendment to the Plantation labor Act 1951.

Source: The Statesman