What are the various labor welfare agencies of India?

Answer 1

The labour welfare agencies in India and the activities organised by them are:

1. The Central Government

The government of India has set up a Central Board for Workers Education, consisting of representatives of central and state governments, organizations of employers and workers and educations. It established 37 regional centrals to cover important industrial centers. It also provides grants-in-aid to trade unions and institutions for workers, education.

Various schemes for grant of National Safety Awards to factories covered by the Factories Act 1948 and Ports have been instituted for good safety records. Four such schemes are in operation, each having 15 awards for good safety records. Each scheme consists of cash prize and certificates of merit. A National safety council was set up in 1960.

Its main function is to conduct seminar, organize file shows in factories and distribute posters on the subject of safety.

Shram-Vir Awards have been instituted for workers in factories, mines, plantation and docks. The awards are given in recognition of meritorious performance-such as suggestions leading to higher productivity or economy or greater efficiency.

2. The State Governments

State governments have also played an important role in providing the welfare activities to labours in their state. States of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are the leading states in organizing various welfare activities.

Maharashtra: In 1939, Bombay government organised for the first time in the state the Model Welfare Centres. In 1953, the government passed the Labour Welfare Fund Act and transferred all welfare activities to the Bombay Labour Welfare Board constituted under the act having representatives of employers independent persons and women. A welfare fund consisting of underutilized fines and unpaid wages, donation etc., was set up.

Labour welfare boards maintains a member of labour welfare centers catering to the various welfare activities for workers and their families. The State government also set up an Institute for training Labour welfare officers for the factories in the state.

Uttar Pradesh. In 1937, the government created a new Department of Labour under a commissioner of labour. The department has organised labour welfare centre in almost all big industrial centers. The regular centers are divided in to three categories on the basis of the activities undertaken by them. Nearly all basic welfare facilities like hospitals and dispensaries, libraries and reading rooms, sewing classes, maternity centers, crèches indoor and outdoor games etc. are provided by these centers. The U.P. Government framed factories welfare offices rules.

According to these rules, every factory employing 500 workers or more will have to appoint a Labour Welfare Officers and factories employing 2,500 workers or more will have appoint an additional welfare officer. There are also labour welfare advisory committees, one for the whole state 19 in districts to advise the government in organizing labour welfare activities. The government passed U.P. Welfare Fund Act 1956 to provide funds for welfare activities.

West Bengal. The government started labour welfare centers at different place and the various activities undertaken by these centers are publicity, library, reading rooms, radio, sports, dispensary etc. Each centre is under the charge of a labour welfare worker, assisted by a labour Welfare Assistant and a Lady Welfare Workers.

Other State Governments. The governments of others state have also started labour welfare centers catering to almost all the labour almost welfare facilities. The states have also undertaken the projects of housing for laborers in the state.

3. The Employers

At present, the welfare activities are being brought more and more under the legislation rather than being left to the good sense of the employers. The government has made certain facilities obligatory on the part of employers under legislations.

The employers have limited financial resources and moreover their attitude towards labour is apathetic. They consider the expenditure on labour welfare activities as waste of money rather than an investment.

Even so, some enlightened employers, on their own initiative, have been doing a bit in the direction of welfare. They have provided medical aids, hospital and dispensary facilities, canteens, fair prices shops, co-operative societies, recreation club etc. these facilities are apart from their liability under various control of state legislations.

The Delhi Cloth and General Mills have an Employees Benefit Fund Trust managed by a Board of trustees. This fund is financed by the contribution of a fixed percentage of the amount distributed as dividend, unclaimed wages and fines etc.

4. The Trade Unions

The welfare works undertaken by the trade union agency are negligible because of lack of organisation and financial stringency. Only few unions, like the Ahmadabad Textile Labour Associations, the Mazdoor Subha of Kanpur, Indore Mill Mazdoor Sangh and Bank Employees Association, have devoted themselves to welfare work. The Ahmadabad textile Labour association spends nearly 30 % of its income on welfare activities.

5. Other Agencies

There are two options of labour welfare work by other agencies

Social Service Agencies: Several social service agencies such as Bombay Social Service League started by the servants of India society and similar leagues in Madras and Bengal, the Shive Sena Society, the Bombay Presidency Woman's Council, the Maternity and In fact Welfare Association, the Y.M.C.A. The depressed classes mission society and many other mission societies play an important role in organizing the welfare work, both the helping employers and labour and by independent efforts. These agencies have provided various welfare activities, like education, indoor and outdoor games, establishment of co-operative societies, night schools and libraries etc.

Municipalities. A few municipalities and municipal corporations have also taken special welfare measures such as co-operative credit societies, maternities and nursery schools, adult schools, crèches, etc. these progressive municipalities are of Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Kanpur, Madras, Ajmer etc.