V S V Sathya Pratheeka, B.A.LLB, ICFAI Law School, Hyderabad
ABSTRACT
The Economic Survey of India 2017 statistics reveal that interstate migration in India between 2011 and 2016 averaged close to 9 million per year. The plight of these interstate migrant workers was brought to light during the nation's first lockdown. The event also brought to light the flaws and shortcomings in the law governing inter-state migrant workers, The Inter-state Workmen's (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979. The laws governing Inter-state migrant workers have undergone major revisions because of the introduction of new labor codes. The Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions Code, 2019 currently incorporates the provisions of the Inter-State Migrant Workmen(Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979.
This article's main objective is to assess the inadequacies of the previous legislation i.e., the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act. Compare the provisions in the new code with those in the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act to see the most significant changes that have been made to the code regarding inter-state migrant workers. This article focuses particularly on the important issues that should have been covered by the new labor laws as well as the highlights and drawbacks of its Inter-State migrant worker provisions.
Keywords: Inter-State migrant workers, Labour Codes, Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, The Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions Code, 2019.
