IMPHAL, July 23: Manipur’s Deputy Labour Commissioner E Tomba Singh speaking to media here on Saturday informed that efforts are on to implement the recommendation of Majitha wage board in the newspaper establishments in the state in near future even though newspaper establishment in the state are yet to implement it.
“We’ve even appointed three inspectors as per the direction of the Supreme Court to monitor the newspaper establishments for the proposal,” Tomba said. “One State Level Tripartite Monitoring Committee has also been constituted by the State Government of Manipur.”
Deputy Labour Commissioner also appealed to the newspaper employees who are aggrieved by the non-implementation of the same (are liberty under section 17 of the said Act) to make application to the state government of Manipur for the recovery of amount due to them from their respective employers.
He said the revised wages and allowances of the newspaper employees are enforced under Working journalists and other newspaper employees & Misc. provisions Act 1955.The implementation of the same by the employers of the newspaper establishments are monitored by three inspectors appointed under the said Act and the state level monitoring committee.
On the prevalence of child labour in the state in hotels, restaurants, vehicle workshops as well as domestic help, he said any child under 14 cannot be employed in any form and punitive action against these establishments and individuals can be taken up under the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act 1986. He also appealed to the public to inform the department in case some establishment is found employed children under the age of 14.
The department has issued a licenses or work permit to a little over a thousand migrant workers who have been brought in by various companies/agencies and contractors both from the state as well as from outside the state, he added.The licenses are issued mostly to some big companies like the Simplex Infrastructure,Simplex Projects, Keystone, and others special contractors of the state. The Labour Department started issuing licenses to migrant workers with renewed vigour from 2014 onwards especially in the wake of a very strong movement for implementation of ILP in the state.The Labour Department according to him is mandated to provide care,protection, settlement of disputes arising out of employment, or non-employment, terms of employment or conditions of labour , welfare and social security of various workers in the state sphere under 25 different labour laws including Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation)Act,1986, the Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act,1955as in force in Manipur.
