Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that India's labour force has a huge role to play in realizing dreams and aspirations to build a developed India and said the future may require flexible workplaces, work from home ecosystem and flexi work hours.
Addressing the National Labour Conference of Labour Ministers of all states and union territories via video conferencing, PM Modi said, "Many efforts like Pradhan Mantri Shram-Yogi Maandhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and other schemes have given security cover to the workers."
He added, "India's labour force has a huge role to play in realizing our dreams and aspirations to build a developed India. With this thought, the country is working continuously for crores of workers working in organized and unorganized sector."
The Prime Minister had urged people to take 'Panch Pran' in his Independence Day address saying that the big resolution is to make a developed country by 2047.
"We have seen just as the country supported its workers in their time of need, in the same way, the workers have put their full strength into recovering from this epidemic. Today India has once again become the fastest growing economy in the world, so a lot of credit goes to our workers," he said at the Labour Conference.
PM Modi said the deliberations and decisions taken at the National Labour Conference will empower the labour of the country. He said various schemes aimed at the upliftment of those working in the organised and unorganised sectors will help in strengthening the labour force in India.
In the last eight years, Prime Minister said the Centre brought labour reforms and removed imperialistic and regressive labour laws. Through this reform, the government ensured basic salaries, health insurance and other benefits for labourers.
The Emergency Credit Line Guarantee scheme protected 1.5 crore people during the pandemic, he said.
He said the government is now changing, reforming and simplifying such labour laws and 29 such labour laws have been changed into four simple labour codes.
PM Modi said the Union Labour Ministry is preparing its vision for the year 2047.
"Future needs - flexible workplaces, work from home ecosystem. Future needs flexi work hours; we can use systems like flexible work places as opportunities for women labor force participation," emphasised PM Modi.
He said the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has played a crucial role in providing financial security to the labour force in India.
"E-Shram portal is another example of how India is working towards strengthening the unorganised sector. Those working in fields such as construction are now getting benefits of government schemes," added PM Modi.
The two-day National Labour Conference of Labour Ministers has been organised by the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the conference has been convened in the spirit of cooperative federalism to discuss various significant labour-related issues.
The conference will help create further synergy amongst the Centre and state governments in formulating better policies and ensuring effective implementation of schemes for the welfare of workers.
The conference will have four thematic sessions on integrating e-Shram portal for onboarding social security schemes to universalize social protection: Swasthya se Samriddhi for improving medical care through ESI hospitals run by State Governments and integration with PMJAY; framing of rules under four Labour Codes and modalities for their implementation; Vision Shramev Jayate @2047 with focus on just and equitable conditions of work, social protection to all workers, including gig and platform workers, gender equality at work, among other issues.
