Employment News
2024 Interim Budget | Net zero gain for job guarantee scheme
The 2024 Budget allocates ₹86,000 crore for the rural employment scheme, which is nearly 43.33% hike from the allocation in the last Budget, though the total expenditure so far for the programme, as per Union Rural Development Ministry, is already ₹88,309 crore.
Budget 2024: The great Indian jobs dilemma facing the Finance Minister
Agriculture now employs nearly as many people as it employed in 2009 and 20% more than what it employed in 2019 and that is not great news.
Lowest EPFO Registrations in 2 Years Signal Formal Job Market Decline
India’s formal job market saw a decline in November, 2023 – the lowest figures in nearly two years for some funds and insurances – Economic Times has reported, citing Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation data. Preliminary data says there was a 5% drop in new subscribers to the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), to 736,015, and a 10.5% decline in the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), to 1.16 million, compared to October 2023.
India’s employable youth up from 33.9% in 2014 to 51.3% in 2024: DEA
The Department of Economic Affairs, in its January 2024 review of the economy, says the push to mass skilling since 2014 has begun to pay dividends. "The employable percentage of final-year and pre-final-year students increased from 33.9% in 2014 to 51.3% in 2024," it said citing the findings of the online Wheebox National Employability Test.
Why More Chinese Workers Are Settling For Less Pay
Many employers that used to hire aggressively are in retreat. The property market is in a multiyear downturn, exports are weak, and local governments are saddled with debt. Government crackdowns on the private sector have led many companies to rein in risk taking, while foreign firms, spooked by geopolitical tensions, are cutting investment in China. With the economy in a funk and deflation settling in, many people are having to settle for jobs beneath their skill levels, often with reduced pay.
Policy Changes
Family pension: Women employee can now nominate children
The government has amended rules granting women employee the right to nominate their son(s) or daughter(s) for family pension instead of their husbands. Minister of State (Independent Charge) Jitendra Singh said that the Department of Pensions and Pensioners' Welfare (DoP&PW) has introduced an amendment to the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021 which will now allow a female government employees or pensioners to grant family pension to their eligible child/children after their own demise, instead of their spouse.
In the Courts
Registration of migrant workers happening or not? Madras HC asks T.N. government
Chief Justice Sanjay V. Gangapurwala and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy call for a report by March 27 listing the steps taken so far for effective implementation of the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979.
If jobless, work as a labourer to pay maintenance to wife: Allahabad high court
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has ruled that a husband, even without income, must engage in labor work to to maintain his estranged wife, as he could potentially earn Rs 350-400 per day as an unskilled laborer. The decision cam e in response to a revision petition filed by a Unnao man challenging a trial court's order to pay Rs 2,000 monthly maintenance to his estranged wife.
Women in the Workforce
Interim Budget 2024: PM Awas Yojana to ‘Lakhpati Didi’ – Schemes Nirmala Sitharaman spoke about
To empower women in rural areas, Sitharaman announced the expansion of the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme. The target, which was initially set for two crore women, has been enhanced to three crore women.
Over 3 million ASHA, anganwadi workers now in Ayushman Bharat
More than three million Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), anganwadi workers and helpers are set to benefit from healthcare coverage under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the Interim Budget 2024-25 that the healthcare cover provided by the scheme will now be extended to include everybody in this segment.
Centre starts survey to assess women participation in workforce
The survey is being taken to assess the spread of women employee-friendly practices in the country like creche facilities for children and equal pay for equal work.
Give women top jobs & pay parity, says govt advisory to companies
The Indian government has released a set of measures to enhance women's participation in the workforce, including gender-neutral recruitment ads, creche breaks, promoting women in management and providing maternity benefits to highway and construction workers.
Centre asks employers to give maternity leave to construction workers
For migrant women workers, it asked that all employers in the highways sector ensure facilities such as latrines and urinals, washing spaces, crèches, and adequate accommodation are made available.
EPFO’s new survey seeks details on women workers to boost their share in workforce
Globally, the South Asia region had a female labour force participation rate of 26 per cent in 2022, with India’s neighbouring countries registering female LFPR of 33 per cent in Sri Lanka, 25 per cent in Pakistan, 29 per cent in Nepal, 38 per cent in Bangladesh and 61 per cent in China, as per World Bank.
Layoffs and Hirings
Thousands Set to Lose Jobs as Tata Steel in the UK, ArcelorMittal in Italy on the Verge of Shutdown
Nearly 13,000 workers in total are expected to be ousted from work as the two prominent Indian steel manufacturers in the region face a host of environmental and financial problems. While plans are on the anvil for Tata Steel to close down its two coal-fired blast furnaces at its Welsh steelworks to shift to greener and cheaper steelmaking units, Mittal’s steel factory, which is facing allegations of spewing cancer-causing chemicals, faces a government takeover.
Flipkart may let 1000 employees go, Swiggy is likely to lay off 400
Flipkart is intensifying its efforts to achieve profitability as it is eyeing a valuation of approximately $60 billion at the time of its initial public offering (IPO), now planned in 2025-2026
Termination of over 500 staff sparks protest at AIIMS Raipur
Raipur: The termination of over 500 outsourced employees at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS ) in Raipur, triggered an agitation in front of the premier medical institute in Chhattisgarh.
Railways completes employment process for 1.5 lakh new posts
Sources in the Ministry of Railways said that the railways’ recruitment arm- Railway Recruitment Board - has started with a new process to bring out vacancies on a regular basis, practically every year because infrastructure and operations are increasing every year. Besides it wants to counter allegations of the BJP government failing employment expectations of job seekers.
Supreme Court Recruitment 2024: Apply for 90 Law Clerk-cum-Research Associates posts
Supreme Court of India, SCI has invited applications for Law Clerk-cum-Research Associates posts. Eligible candidates can apply online through the official website of SCI at main.sci.gov.in. This recruitment drive will fill up 90 posts in the organisation.
News from States
Karnataka govt announces to implement Old Pension Scheme for 13,000 employees
The Karnataka government Wednesday issued a notification to bring about its 13,000 employees, who were notified before April 1, 2006 but were appointed at a later date, under the Old Pension Scheme. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah posted on 'X' that he had made this promise to the government employees on a strike against the new pension scheme.
AVGC-XR technologies to generate 30,000 jobs in Karnataka: State CM Siddaramaiah
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah aims to position the state as a global innovation leader in Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) technologies. The government envisions generating 30,000 high-quality jobs in the AVGC-XR sector by 2028, making Karnataka a center of excellence for related skills.
JSW Aluminium's MSME Park in Vizianagaram district to generate 45,000 jobs
During India's 75th Republic Day celebrations at the police parade ground, Vizianagaram District, Andhra Pradesh, District Collector S. Nagalakshmi announced that the establishment of JSW Aluminium Limited's MSME Park in S. Kota mandal is poised to generate immediate direct and indirect employment opportunities for approximately 45,000 individuals
Over 94,000 youths provided self-employment opportunities in a day: J&K admin
Jammu--The Jammu and Kashmir administration provided entrepreneurship and self-employment opportunities to 94,680 youngsters in a single day on Wednesday, officials said. Sinha, who was presiding over a function here, congratulated the Jammu Kashmir Bank for “strengthening” the spirit of Ghar Ghar KCC Abhiyaan and Swarozgar Utsav – two ongoing campaigns aimed at financial empowerment of farmers and the youth.
Child Labour News
Migrant kids skip school, join kin in areca nut farms in TN's Coimbatore
Thondamuthur is a hub of areca nut cultivation in Coimbatore district, with more than 100 areca nut processing units functioning in the villages of Puthur, Kalikkanaickenpalayam, Muthipalayam, etc. around Thondamuthur. The labourers, who are mostly from Assam, are often helped by their children in their tasks on the farms. Thousands of Assamese families are based here. When TNIE visited an areca nut grove in Puthur village last Wednesday, several children were seen helping their parents in their work.
Officials, NGOs to study prevalence of child labour in Andhra Pradesh
Similar studies being conducted in Telangana, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha; ILO, NACG, CRAF, Labour and other departments plan consultations and seminars in eight States on the issue.
Profiles
Women welcome women guests, in Kerala’s spice groves
They host travellers looking to explore the State’s cultural bounty; over 2,600 entrepreneurs have signed up for the scheme in past two years. Ms. Vinod is a farm-tourism entrepreneur, a role facilitated by the Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission Society (KRTMS), a coordinating agency under the government.
Pending Wages
UP Swachhagrahis who helped make India open-defecation free ‘not paid since 2019’, say ‘govt forgot us’
It has been over three weeks that Swachhagrahis, the foot soldiers of the Modi government’s pet project Swachh Bharat Mission, in Uttar Pradesh are on a protest at Lucknow’s Eco Park over unpaid dues that dates back to 2019. Swachagrahis are demanding compensation of Rs 250 a day along with promised bonus of Rs 10,000. CM Yogi promised minimum pay last year but it seemingly remains to be delivered.
Gurugram in mess again amid strike by garbage collectors
Waste collectors of Ecogreen, a solid waste management concessionaire, have gone on strike over the non-payment of their salaries for five months, leaving Gurugram in a state of mess again. They have also sought the intervention of Municipal Commissioner (Gurugram) Narhari Bangar to get their dues released. Waste not lifted for two days, the MCG says.
Tailpiece
2 months after Silkyara ordeal, workers return for their second innings
After the rescue of 41 workers who were trapped for 17 days in the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel project, life is gradually returning to normal as workers start to return to the site. Deepak Shrivastav, a worker from Bihar, who recently returned to Silkyara emphasised that safety measures in the tunnel have been improved. “I told this to my co-workers back home, and they said they will also come back in the next few days."