The Constitution of India confers powers to state governments and the central (federal) government to enact laws on the subject of employment and labour, except for certain matters that are reserved for the central government.
A large number of labour laws exist on different aspects of labour, namely qxation and payment of wages, social security, occupational health and safety, women and child labour, industrial relations, resolution and adjudication of industrial disputes, and e5ual opportunities, including opportunities for disabled and transgender individuals.
Currently, over 50: separate laws concerning employment and labour law are in effect in the country. The existing labour and employment laws can be categorised into the following categories:
- laws enacted and enforced solely by the central government;
- laws enacted by the central government and enforced both by the central and state governments;
- laws enacted by the central government and enforced by the state governments; and
- laws enacted and enforced by the various state governments which apply to respective states.
- termination of employees;
- disputes concerning sexual harassment; and
- other employment matters.
Classiqcation of employees
Employees in India are broadly categorised into workmen and non-workmen. The Industrial
Disputes Act 1948 (the ID Act) deals with settlement of industrial disputes, and provides
statutory protection to workmen in certain matters, such as termination, transfers and
closure of establishments. The ID Act, among other things, also deals with the transfer
of business undertakings in relation to workmen.
Disclaimer: This update is for general information purposes only. It does not purport to provide comprehensive legal or other advice. The publisher and the contributors accept no responsibility for losses that may arise from reliance upon information contained in these publications.
