1.

Payment of Wages (Amendment) Act, 2017 enabling payment of Wages to employees by

Cash or Cheque or crediting it to their bank account. Click Here
2. Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016 provides for a
complete ban on employment of children below 14 years in any occupation or
process. Click Here
3. Maternity Benefit Amendment Act, 2017, increases the paid maternity leave from 12
weeks to 26 weeks. Click Here
4. The Employee Compensation (Amendment) Act, seeks to rationalize penalties and
strengthen the rights of the workers under the Act. Click Here
5. Ministry has notified “Ease of Compliance to maintain Registers under various Labour
Laws Rules, 2017” on 21st February 2017 which has in effect replaced the 56
Registers/Forms under 9 Central Labour Laws and Rules made there under into 5
common Registers/Forms. This will save efforts, costs and lessen the compliance burden
by various establishments. Click Here
6. A Model Shops and Establishments (RE&CS) Bill, 2016 has been circulated to all
States/UTs for adoption with appropriate modification. The said Bill inter alia provides
for freedom to operate an Establishment for 365 days in a year without any restriction on
opening/closing time and enables employment of women during night shifts if adequate
safety provisions exist. Click Here
7. A category i.e. Fixed Term Employment has been introduced under Industrial
Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 to impart flexibility to an establishment to
employ people in case of Apparel Manufacturing Sector to meet the fluctuating demands
of the sector due to its seasonal nature. Click Here
8. Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Corporation raises wage limit to Rs 21,000 for
coverage from Rs 15,000. Click Here
9. Amendment to the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 by which eligibility limit for payment of
bonus enhanced from Rs 10,000/- to Rs. 21,000/- per month and the Calculation Ceiling
from 3,500/- to Rs. 7,000/- or the minimum wages.
10. The Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017: Under the present Gratuity Act, the
maximum period of maternity leave available to female employees is 12 weeks (for the
purpose of calculation of continuous service. The Bill amends the provision to specify
that the central government may notify the maximum time period for maternity leave.
11. PF Withdrawal New Rules- Documents Requirement: Now onwards, for those PF
accounts that have not been linked to Aadhaar for some reason, PF claimant should
submit cancelled cheque in original (containing claimant’s name, bank account number
& IFSC of the bank branch printed on it) with all type of claims. Incase the bank account
of the claimant is ‘without cheque facility’, then the claimant has to submit copy of bank
passbook (containing claimant’s name, bank account number & IFSC of the bank branch)
 duly attested by the bank authorities where the bank account is maintained or by the
employer. This shall come into force with immediate effect.
12. PF Date of Birth Correction Procedure New
13. One Employee- One EPF Account: A facility has been provided to the members to merge
their earlier PF accounts to the current PF account to that EPFO may help them in the
integrations of all these PF accounts in the current UAN activated PF account. The said
functionality has been provided on the EPFO website.
14. Now anyone can create PF UAN online at Unified Portal
15. Government UMANG Mobile App– Added PF Services such as PF Claim and to check
PF balance online

Latest amendments in Labour Laws /Labour Law updates in India

Labour Laws in Indian are not amended or updated very frequently, still Government is looking
into the laws and is identifying the clauses which need great attention and need to be amended as
per prevailing conditions. Many professionals and students often search and ask for the latest
amendments and updates on Labour Laws in India. Following are some changes made in Labour
Laws:-
Industrial Disputes Act(1947):
In the amendment to the Industrial Disputes Act, wherein the definition of a workman now
includes a supervisor drawing a salary upto Rs. 10,000 p.m. and any person performing
supervisory functions but being paid below Rs. 10,000 p.m. would be treated as workmen. In
Maharashtra, where such workmen get protection of the MRTU & PULP Act, it means that
termination of the supervisors can also become an industrial dispute and they would be workmen
for all practical purposes. This is an important change, though many supervisors are paid in
excess of Rs. 10,000/- this change is worthy of notice. The import of some of the amendments
are below:

(i) The definition of ‘Appropriate Government’. Has been amplified.

(ii) While The definition of workmen remains the same, section 2(s)(iv)has been amended to
exclude a person who is employed in a Supervisory capacity draws wages exceeding Rs.10,000/-
per month from the definition of ‘workmen’. Earlier the wage limit was Rs.1600/- per month in
other states and Rs. 6,500 in Maharashtra.

The rest of the definition (i.e., or exercises, either by the nature of the duties attached to the
office or by reason of the powers vested in him, function mainly of a managerial nature) remains
unchanged.

(iii) A grievance redressal machinery in an establishment having 20 or more workmen with one
stage appeal to the employer has been provided.

(iv) In cases of retrenchment, discharge, dismissal or termination of services, the workman can
directly apply to Labour Courts/Tribunals after expiry of 45 days from the date he has made the
application for reinstatement to the conciliation officer. The outer limit to approach the Labour
Court or the Industrial Tribunal is 3 years from the date of the dispute, termination, retrenchment
etc.

GRATUITY ACT(1972):

Under the gratuity Act, the ceiling of Rs.3.5 lakhs has been increased to
Rs.10,00,000/- with effect from 24.05.2010.

The Workmen’s Compensation (Amendment) Act(1923), 2009:

Workmen’s Compensation Act is now Employees Compensation Act, 1923 and the definition of
employee includes clerical employees & casual employees also. Further,
the minimum compensation limits on no-fault basis are increased to Rs.1,20,000 & 1,40,000
(erstwhile limits being Rs. 80,000 & 90,000).
under the maximum compensation limit, the monthly wage limit of Rs.4,000/ is removed. hence,
the maximum compensation can go UPTO 50% of Total Monthly Wages now, irrespective of
limits [now a new ceiling of Rs.8000/- is introduced].
Funeral expenses limit extended to Rs.5000 (from Rs.2,500)
The employee shall be reimbursed the actual (full) medical expenditure incurred by him for
treatment of injuries caused during the course of employment.
Time limit for disposal of cases relating to compensation introduced- The Commissioner shall
dispose of the matter relating to compensation within 3 months of reference.
Old definition: "workman" means any person (other than a person whose employment is of a
casual nature and who is employed otherwise than for the purposes of the employer's trade or
business) who is….
New definition: Section 2
“(dd) “employee” means a person, who is—
(i) a railway servant as defined in clause (34) of section 2 of the Railways Act, 1989 (24 of
1989), not permanently employed in any administrative district or sub-divisional office of a
railway and not employed in any such capacity as is specified in Schedule II; or
(ii) (a) a master, seaman or other members of the crew of a ship,
(b) a captain or other member of the crew of an aircraft,
(c) a person recruited as driver, helper, mechanic, cleaner or in any other capacity in connection
with a motor vehicle.
(d) a person recruited for work abroad by a company,
and who is employed outside India in any such capacity as is specified in Schedule II and the
ship, aircraft or motor vehicle, or company, as the case may be, is registered in India; or
(iii) employed in any such capacity as is specified in Schedule II, whether the contract of
employment was made before or after the passing of this Act and whether such contract is
expressed or implied, oral or in writing; but does not include any person working in the capacity
of a member of the Armed Forces of the Union; and any reference to any employee who has
been” injured shall, where the employee is dead, include a reference to his dependants or any of
them.
Proposal to raise ceiling under PF ACt to Rs. 10,000 p.m.:
There is a proposal to raise the PF limits for coverage to Rs. 10,000 from the current Rs. 6,500
p.m.