Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya has said here on Sunday that amendment Bills to the Employees Provident Fund and Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Acts will be introduced in the second half of the budget session of Parliament from April 20.
The Bills are being introduced to improve ease of business in the country without affecting the rights and security of workers, Mr. Dattatreya told a press conference. He said the EPF Act would be amended to mandate establishments employing a minimum of ten workers sufficient for coverage by the Provident Fund scheme. The present limit is twenty workers.
Similarly, the amendment to the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act contemplates clamping total prohibition on children less than 14 years of age from working in hazardous industries. The age limit is now 18 years. The latter amendment will be discussed by an inter-Ministerial group of nine Ministers. The amendment to EPF Act would increase the number of subscribers under the scheme from the present 4 crore plus, he added.
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