Parliament Question: Migrant workers

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1528 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.02.2026 MIGRANT WORKERS

1528. SHRI NIRANJAN BISHI:

Will the Minister of Labour and Employment be pleased to state:

(a)whether Government has received reports of exploitation and unsafe working conditions faced by migrant workers from western Odisha in other States;

(b) if so, the nature of complaints received; and

(c) the action taken to ensure their protection and rehabilitation? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a) to (c): The 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, grievances redressal mechanisms, toll free helpline, protection from abuse and exploitation, and social security to all category of organised and unorganized workers including migrant workers.

In the OSH Code, 2020 inter-state migrant worker has been defined as a person who is employed in an establishment and who has been recruited directly by the employer or indirectly through a contractor in one State for employment in such establishment situated in another State or, has come on his own from one State and obtained employment in an establishment of another State or has subsequently changed the establishment within the destination State under an agreement or other arrangement for such employment and draws wages not exceeding the amount of Rs.18000/- per month.

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SAMADHAN Portal was launched for facilitating filing of industrial disputes by the employee, employers and trade unions pertaining to payment of wages, gratuity, equal remuneration, maternity benefits etc. The portal has user friendly interface and has enhanced transparency and efficiency of grievance resolution for the stakeholders.

Resolution of disputes and claims is done by way of conciliation and quasi-judicial process by CIRM officers designated as competent authorities under respective Acts. Time taken to resolve disputes and claims depends upon various factors like nature of complaints, number of complainants/ Trade Unions involved; number and nature of demands, financial liabilities involved etc.

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