Parliament Question: Enforcement of labour safety standards

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3150 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.03.2026 ENFORCEMENT OF LABOUR SAFETY STANDARDS 3150. DR. ASHOK KUMAR MITTAL: Will the Minister of Labour and Employment be pleased to state: (a) whether Government has assessed the enforcement of labour safety standards, particularly for migrant and informal sector workers and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; (b) whether Labour Codes have improved compliance or diluted the existing worker protections in practice and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; (c) whether adequate data exists on workplace fatalities and injuries to inform evidencebased policymaking and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and (d) whether the Ministry proposes stronger inspection and grievance redressal mechanisms to prevent recurring labour rights' violations? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE) (a) to (d): The Central Government has enacted the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH&WC) Code 2020 which came into force on 21.11.2025, to regulate the occupational safety, health and working conditions of the persons employed in establishments including construction, factories, mining etc. The provisions of OSH & WC Code 2020 and rules, regulations and standards framed thereunder are implemented by the appropriate government. The OSH Code provides for, inter-alia, universal application of occupational safety, health and welfare facilities in all establishments having 10 or more workers and even for establishments with one employee, in hazardous or life-threatening occupations, free annual health check-up for employees, formalization through appointment letters, regulation of working Contd..2/-:: 2 :: hours, women allowed to work in all sector in all types of works, including night shifts (with consent and safety measures), Inspectors are now Inspector-cum-Facilitators to support compliance, simplified compliance i.e. single license, single registration, and single return system, web based randomized inspection, third party audit and certification of start-up establishments or class of establishments etc In order to safeguard the interest of the Migrant workers, Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Services) Act,1979, has been subsumed in the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Code, 2020. The OSH Code, provides for decent working conditions, minimum wages, grievance redressal mechanisms, toll free helpline, journey allowance, protection and social security to all categories of organized and unorganized workers including migrant workers. With expanded social security, stronger protections and nationwide portability of entitlements, the codes place workers, especially migrant workers firmly at the centre of labour governance. The provisions of OSH Code applicable for migrant workers are detailed as under: It shall be the duty of every contractor or the employer, of an establishment employing inter-State migrant workers in connection with the work of that establishment— (a) to ensure suitable conditions of work to such worker having regard to the fact that he is required to work in a State different from his own State; (b) in case of fatal accident or serious bodily injury to any such worker, to report to the specified authorities of both the States and also the next of kin of the worker; (c) to extend all benefits to such worker which are available to a worker of that establishment including benefits under the Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948 or the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 or any other law for the time being in force and the facility of medical check-up as available to a worker under clause (c) of sub-section (1) of section 6. Contd..3/-:: 3 :: (d) the employer shall pay, to every inter-State migrant worker employed in his establishment, in a year a lump sum amount of fare for to and fro journey to his native place from the place of his employment, in the manner taking into account the minimum service for entitlement, periodicity and class of travel and such other matters as may be prescribed by the appropriate Government. (e) The appropriate Government may provide facility of toll free helpline to the inter-State migrant workers in such manner as may be prescribed by that Government. Adequate provisions to address non-compliance with safety standards in establishments have been specified under the Chapter XII (Offences and Penalties) in the OSH & WC Code 2020, which entails penalties including fine, prosecution, imprisonment etc. The OSH&WC Code, 2020 empowers the appropriate Government to appoint Inspector-cum-Facilitators and frame randomized web-based inspection system. By reorienting the role of enforcement agencies to also facilitate compliance with laws, using technology and clear guidelines, inspections will become more transparent, objective and efficient. Appropriate government may also frame scheme for empanelment of experts for third party audit and certification. In addition to existing mechanisms, the Government has established multiple platforms for grievance redressal of labourers. These include the Samadhan Portal, the eShram Grievance Management System (Toll-Free No. 14434), and the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS). These platforms are aimed at ensuring timely and effective resolution of grievances raised by workers across the country. *****