Is the Factories (Amendment) Act, 2014 in Effect? Understanding the Gazette Notification

The Factories (Amendment) Act, 2014 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 7, 2014. Can you please confirm if this means it has come into force or not?

Understanding the Gazette Notification

As per the gazette, it states:
"1) This Act may be called the Factories (Amendment) Act, 2014.
2) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification, in the Official Gazette, appoint. Different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act, and any reference in any such provision to the commencement of this Act shall be construed as a reference to the coming into force of that provision."

What does this mean?

Please find the attachment.

Regards,
Vinod Singh

NDA's Labour Reform Bill and the Factories Act Amendment

The NDA's landmark labour reform Bill to amend the Factories Act is unlikely to be taken up in the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament as the standing committee on labour is yet to finalize its report. "We are still examining the Bill and discussing it with stakeholders. The report is unlikely to be finalized soon," said a member of the House panel.

The committee, led by BJP MP Virendra Kumar, is understood to have held only two meetings to discuss the Bill. "We have had some discussions with trade unions. But these need to be more detailed, after which we will meet employers as well," said the member.

The month-long Winter Session of Parliament is scheduled to start on November 24. The government was hopeful that there would be some movement on the Bill in the forthcoming session, but without the recommendations of the Standing Committee, the Bill cannot be taken up for discussion.

Keen to modernize the country’s labour laws—some of which date back to the pre-Independence era—the NDA government introduced the Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2014, in August this year during the Budget session of Parliament. The current Act was enacted in 1948.

The long-pending Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2014, aims to improve the safety and health of workers as well as allow women to be employed for night shifts in factories and also increase the limit for overtime hours by workers.

The Bill, which seeks to redefine the definition of a factory, was seen as one of the first concrete reform measures taken by the government.

The proposed legislation also seeks to lower the criteria for annual leave with wages to 90 days from the current 240 days as well as provide canteen facilities to factories employing 200 workers.

Hoping to attract investors, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has recently also announced that the government would further liberalize labour law regulations. "Some aspects of the labour laws in India can certainly be improved and rationalized," he said at the World Economic Forum meet.

Source:

Factories Amendment Bill unlikely to be taken up in Winter Session | The Indian Express

Understanding the Introduction of a Bill

The introduction of a bill means it is placed before the parliament. It is not automatically passed, so the implementation comes into the picture only when the act is passed by the parliament.

Regards