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Newsroom
a day ago
- Health
- Newsroom
History's verdict is already in on van Velden's safety reforms
Analysis: Death at work usually comes violently, and it is always avoidable. It is commonly preceded by the warning signs of threadbare health and safety practices: near-misses, previous incidents, worker anxiety, production pressure, shabby management. Often the signs are nuanced and hard to see: incurious and complacent company directors, a bullying culture, delusions of competence, grandiosity, arrogance. The path to catastrophe is generally marked with some or all of these interacting factors. Running a workplace that's safe for those who work there is complex. It requires good systems, a clear understanding of risk, diligent monitoring, self-reflection, honesty, the ability to genuinely listen to workers, and a willingness to act when they report failings and shortcomings. Generally, those who run safe workplaces are also, by association, running good businesses. As a 2024 report from the Business Leaders' Health and Safety Forum noted, '[F]or well-run businesses, health and safety is simply part and parcel of a tidy house, a well-performing business and a confident workforce.' The Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, Brooke van Velden, wants to reduce the burden of health and safety compliance for businesses. She wants WorkSafe, the regulator, to shift from a 'safety at all costs mentality' to a focus on 'helping duty-holders do what is proportionate to the risks' and 'rooting out over-compliance'. She wants the regulator to focus on 'critical risks', although this is not defined. She has visited 11 towns and cities and received feedback from 1000 people, and reports that some businesses feel frightened of WorkSafe. She has heard the regulator is 'punitive' and not 'supportive'. She has heard businesses feel uncertain, and that they want the regulator to tell them how to be compliant. In other words, they are not sure how to keep a tidy house, and want WorkSafe to stop being scary and to offer them a guiding hand. The minister thinks a key solution to businesses' anxiety is to 'rebalance' WorkSafe's focus away from enforcement and towards advice. It's not clear from van Velden's recent Cabinet Paper how she thinks her new approach will reduce the number of workers killed on the job, who suffer life-changing injury, or whose lives are shortened by diseases caused by exposure to workplace harms. She says improved outcomes are 'expected', but offers no evidence to support this. Nor is there a Regulatory Impact Statement with further insight on the changes she announced last week; the Ministry for Regulation, overseen by Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour – van Velden's Act party leader – advised an RIS was not needed. Nor does her Cabinet paper reflect on the fact the rate of workplace death in New Zealand is 60 percent higher than Australia and 500 percent higher than the UK, or that our rate of serious injury is 35 percent and 330 percent higher respectively than those two countries. Instead, the focus is on making WorkSafe friendlier, more collaborative, and more helpful to business. In many years of writing about workers killed at work, I've seen no evidence that a kinder and less punitive regulator would have helped keep those workers alive. Indeed, there is considerable evidence that such an approach contributes directly to the avoidable deaths of workers. The ID cards of the 29 men whose bodies remain in the Pike River Mine now form part of a memorial. The leading example is, of course, Pike River Coal Ltd. Pike killed 29 workers in 2010, a tragedy that led to the creation of WorkSafe in 2013 and a major overhaul of health and safety law in 2015. Would a supportive, collaborative and non-punitive regulator have helped Pike keep a tidy house? Would it have prevented the violent deaths of 29 productive workers (not to mention the destruction of $340 million in capital)? We are able to answer this question with a high level of confidence because Pike had just such a regulator. The two mines inspectors who worked at different times with Pike invariably took a kindly approach with the company and its driving force Peter Whittall, as well as with the many mine managers who came and went with great frequency in the short benighted life of the project. The inspectors were approachable, and Pike often raised concerns and sought input from them. They took a low-level compliance strategy, seeking negotiated agreements with Pike. The inspectors preferred a voluntary approach, even when they could – and should – have used their statutory powers to shut the place down. Certainly, the inspectors never gave Pike cause to be fearful or anxious, and there is no evidence that Whittall experienced such discomfort. He and Pike's board of directors remained at liberty to run an outfit that repeatedly exposed workers to catastrophic risk, routinely broke with long-established rules of safe underground coal mining practice, and ignored incidents and serious concerns reported by workers. Quite correctly, van Velden wants to see more codes of practice and industry guidance. When the Health and Safety at Work Act was passed in 2015, it was intended the legislation would be underpinned by more detailed regulations. One of the most vital parts of that regulatory framework was to be a set of rules for protecting people working with tools and machinery and working at heights (plant and structures). On average 54 workers a year die while working with machines, equipment and structures such as scaffolding. Officials started six years ago to modernise the rules and provide clear, effective, proportionate, and durable regulations. But officials and governments – including the previous Labour government – dragged their feet, and work on the regulations had not been completed by the time van Velden took over the portfolio in late 2023. And, despite her stated desire for clearer guidance for businesses, van Velden last year put work on the plant and structures regulations on hold pending her current overhaul. The $5.6 million allocated for this work was clocked as a saving in the 2024 Budget. It's impossible to know whether the electrocution of experienced 28-year-old Auckland scaffolder Jahden Nelson would have been avoided if the regulations had been in place by 2022, when he went to work for a small company owned by Claire Attard, who had come from the fitness industry. Attard was an SME (small and medium enterprise) battler, striving to do her best and no doubt wanting to contribute to economic prosperity. There was no red tape stopping her from getting into the scaffolding industry, despite her inexperience in the sector. And she wasn't 'sweating the small stuff' – a phrase van Velden often uses – when it came to being an employer, as she treated Nelson and other workers as self-employed contractors. They owned their own tools, paid their own tax and ACC levies, and when there was no work there was no pay. Attard met Jahden Nelson for the first time at her company's yard in early February 2022, and he started work for her at 7am the next day. There was no contract signed. He was initially on $25 an hour, later rising to $27, and worked 10 hours a day for Attard's firm. Although there were no plant and structures regulations in place when he and his crew went to work on April 19, 2022 to dismantle scaffolding previously erected by a different group of Attard's workers, there were clear rules for working near powerlines. WorkSafe also had 'good practice guidelines' for scaffolding. Possibly Attard, like the anxious and uncertain business owners from whom van Velden has been hearing, had wanted more support from WorkSafe on how to run her business safely, but there is no evidence of that in the available documents. She had a suite of health and safety documentation stating that her company strove for health and safety excellence and provided training and instruction. The rules governing work near powerlines said the workers who had been briefed and consented by Mercury's field service provider to assemble the scaffolding must also be the ones to dismantle it. No one else was permitted to work in the consented area in the vicinity of the power lines. However Attard didn't know this, and she tasked a different crew to take the structure down. Nelson was a member of that crew. There was no discussion about the powerlines or the consented area before they got stuck into their work. Nelson did the first lift of the day, and the 6.5m metal pole he was holding touched a power line. There was a loud explosion and large fireball that travelled down the pole to his body. He didn't die, but when he emerged from a coma a month later both arms had been amputated to save his life, he had suffered a heart attack and kidney damage, had severe burns to 30% of his body, and couldn't walk. He subsequently endured 40 operations. When I was welcomed by Nelson and his partner Santana Tierney into his room at Middlemore Hospital's burns unit in late 2022, the father of three young children talked about his his pain and trauma, his love of and need to work ('I don't like not working. I can't sit still,' he told me), and his struggle to come to terms with his profoundly life-altering disability. WorkSafe investigated, and among its findings observed that Nelson and his co-workers had contributed to the incident. However, this was considered minor compared with the overall failure of Attard's company to manage health and safety risks. None of the workers was prosecuted by WorkSafe, but Attard's company was. It pleaded guilty. Enforcement decisions like this may be different under van Velden's revamped health and safety regime. Although she wants WorkSafe to 'rebalance' its focus from enforcement to advice for businesses, she also wants to see more workers prosecuted. She says businesses have told her that workers repeatedly ignore instructions, yet she hasn't heard of WorkSafe prosecuting any. 'I will set an expectation that WorkSafe strengthen its approach to worker breaches of duty,' she states in the Cabinet paper. Van Velden also wants to introduce 'safe harbours' of deemed compliance. The violent death of 39-year old Misha Tremel in 2022 provides an opportunity to consider what that approach might look like. Tremel was at the end of a chain of SMEs harvesting a woodlot in Clevedon, South Auckland. The forest owner had contracted forest management company Pulley Contracting, which had contracted logging company Turoa Logging, which had contracted Tremel's small company (he was the sole worker) to do manual logging with his chainsaw. Again, it's not known whether Turoa or Pulley had fretted over how best to run their companies safely or whether they had longed for more support from WorkSafe. As with the scaffolding industry, there is considerable guidance available in the forestry sector, including an Approved Code of Practice (albeit long overdue for update) and best practice guidelines produced by WorkSafe. The industry also has a template to help analyse the risks of working on steep slopes like the one Tremel was tasked with logging. Tremel was felling wind-wrenched trees, which present additional risks because tension and compression builds as they grow. When such trees are cut these forces can be released. WorkSafe and the forestry industry strongly recommend they are harvested by machines, not by chainsaws. Another factor in the incident was that Turoa had been using a mechanical harvester to fell trees into the stand that Tremel was cutting with his chainsaw. Misha Tremel and his wife Bronwyn. Photo: Supplied Tremel sustained blunt force trauma when a wind-wrenched tree broke and fell. He died at the scene, leaving his partner and two children bereft. WorkSafe prosecuted Turoa and Pulley, who were fined $300,000 earlier this year. Under van Velden's reforms, with safe harbour guidance and WorkSafe sheeting more responsibility back to workers, the regulator may take more lenient approach to the two companies and instead focus its interrogation on Tremel's role. He was, after all, an experienced and skilled manual feller who understood the risks. He was confident and willing to undertake the work, for which he was paid by the hour. Perhaps the minister's refocused regulator would conclude that Tremel was the architect of his own demise? There would be nothing new in that. The history of death in the forestry industry is littered with instances where the regulator has investigated incidents and concluded – in the face of ample evidence of production pressure, poor conditions of work and slack monitoring – that the dead worker had only themselves to blame. This reluctance of the regulator to prosecute contributed to a scandalous record of death and harm, triggering a major inquiry in 2014. As demonstrated by the deaths of Tremel and 39 others in the forestry industry in the past 10 years, the lessons have still not been learned. WorkSafe – depicted by van Velden as punitive and frightening – has prosecuted in only 13 of those cases. On November 19 it will be the 15th anniversary of the tragedy at Pike River Mine, an event that shocked the nation and led to a broad tripartite consensus that underpinned the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act in 2015. No one is satisfied with the slow progress that has been made since in bringing down the toll of death and injury at work, nor with the estimated $4.9 billion annual economic cost of lost lives, lost earnings, the burden of workplace related illness on the health system and of serious injury to ACC. Business leaders and unions have repeatedly urged successive ministers and governments to complete the roll-out of the supporting regulations and guidance that were intended as part of a coherent health and safety regime. But the minister, van Velden, risks setting the scene for further tragedies by instructing WorkSafe to go easy on businesses and by promoting the idea that workplaces are currently over-policed by a fearsome regulator focused on trivia. This is a myth: New Zealand has 31 percent fewer health and safety inspectors than Australia, on whose regime the 2015 Act was based and which does a far better job of protecting workers' lives. As Francois Barton, director of the Business Leaders' Health and Safety Forum, commented last week after van Velden's announcements, WorkSafe makes 80 percent fewer workplace visits than its Australian equivalent, issues 90 percent fewer infringement notices and 50 percent fewer improvement notices. 'You are more likely to lead or work in an organisation where someone has been killed at work than you are to be prosecuted,' wrote Barton on LinkedIn in response to van Velden's announcement. 'I know which of those outcomes I worry about the most.'
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations MCQs on G7, Bank of International Settlements and more (Week 113)
UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative of subject-wise quizzes. These quizzes are designed to help you revise some of the most important topics from the static part of the syllabus. Attempt today's subject quiz on International Relations to check your progress. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for May 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at The Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card holder: 1. is essentially a foreign passport holder. 2. can get a life-long visa for visiting India. 3. not exempted from registration with local police authority for any length of stay in the country. 4. The United Kingdom has the maximum number of registered OCI card holders. Select the correct answer using the codes given below: (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4 (c) 1 and 2 only (d) 3 and 4 only Explanation — British-Indian academic and author Nitasha Kaul, who teaches at the University of Westminster in London, said that her Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status has been cancelled. What is OCI? — The OCI scheme, which was implemented in August 2005, allows for the registration of all Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) who were citizens of India on January 26, 1950, or later, or who were eligible to become citizens of India on that date. — An OCI card bearer, essentially a foreign passport holder, is granted a multiple-entry, multi-purpose life-long visa for visiting India and is exempt from registration with local police authorities for any duration of stay in the country. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct and statement 3 is not correct. — According to government figures, there were over 45 lakh registered OCI card holders from 129 countries in 2023. The United States led the list with more than 16.8 lakh OCI card holders, followed by the United Kingdom (9.34 lakh), Australia (4.94 lakh), and Canada (4.18 lakh). Hence, statement 4 is not correct. Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer. Which of the following countries are members of the South American trading bloc 'MERCOSUR'? 1. Brazil 2. Chile 3. Paraguay 4. Uruguay Select the correct answer using the codes given below: (a) 1, 2, 3 and 4 (b) 1, 2 and 4 (c) 2, 3 and 4 (d) 1, 3 and 4 Explanation — The visiting President of Paraguay, Santiago Peña Palacios, was told by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the two countries are 'united in the fight against terrorism' and can work together to combat 'shared challenges' like cybercrime, organised crime, and drug trafficking. — India and Paraguay are unified in their fight against terrorism. There is enormous potential for collaboration in combating common threats such as cybercrime, organised crime, and drug trafficking. — The Prime Minister also mentioned New Delhi's advantageous trade relationship with the South American trading bloc MERCOSUR, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Uruguay. Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer. With reference to the Indian tourists in the Philippines, consider the following statements: 1. There has been a decline in Indian tourists visiting the archipelago over the past few years. 2. The number of Indian nationals visiting the archipelago in 2024 decreased year-on-year and was approximately 50 per cent lower than the 2022 levels. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Explanation — Air India, part of the Tata Group, has announced that non-stop flights between Delhi and Manila would begin on October 1, connecting the Indian and Philippine capitals for the first time in almost a decade. Philippine Airlines discontinued non-stop flights between India and the Philippines in 2013, citing poor demand. — The declaration by Air India follows the Philippines' decision to waive visa requirements for Indian tourists for up to 14 days, joining other Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Malaysia. — The Philippines, which has some of the best beaches and beautiful islands, has experienced a significant increase in Indian visitors visiting the archipelago over the last few years. Hence, statement 1 is not correct. — According to figures from the Philippines' tourist authority, the number of Indian nationals visiting the archipelago in 2024 increased 12.4% year on year to around 79,000. The figure was around 53% greater than 2022 levels. Hence, statement 2 is not correct. Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer. With reference to the Group of Seven (G7), consider the following statements: 1. The Group was established as a platform for economic and financial cooperation in response to the 1973 energy crisis. 2. The European Union participates in the Group and is represented at the summits by the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission. 3. G7 host countries can not invite countries as guest countries or outreach partners. 4. The G7 expanded into the G8 between 1997 and 2013, with the inclusion of China. How many of the statements given above are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four Explanation — Hours after inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to this month's G7 meeting in Alberta, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney used India's status as the world's fifth-largest economy as justification for the invitation. Canada's action is viewed as a step towards mending relations between the two countries, which had suffered a dramatic decline under the former prime minister, Justin Trudeau. About G7 — The Group was established as a platform for economic and financial cooperation in response to the 1973 energy crisis. The first Summit of Heads of State and Government was held in 1975 in Rambouillet, France. Hence, statement 1 is correct. — The Group of Seven (G7) is an informal forum that includes Italy, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The European Union also participates in the Group, and the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission attend the summits. Hence, statement 2 is correct. — The EU does not have the rotating chairmanship of the G7. — Between 1997 and 2013, the G7 evolved into the G8, which now includes Russia. However, Russia's participation was suspended in 2014 due to the unlawful annexation of Crimea. Hence, statement 4 is not correct. — Usually, G7 host countries invite some countries as guest countries or outreach partners. Canada had so far invited Ukraine and Australia. Hence, statement 3 is not correct. Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer. (Other Source: With reference to the Temporary Protected Status (TPS), consider the following statements: 1. It is a temporary immigration status provided to nationals of certain countries experiencing problems that make it difficult or unsafe for their nationals to be deported there. 2. Recently, the US has terminated the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) provided to Nepal. 3. It provides a work permit and protection from deportation to foreign nationals from those countries who are in the United States at the time the U.S. government makes the designation. Which of the statements given above are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Explanation — According to a media source, the United States has terminated Nepal's Temporary Protected Status (TPS) following the 2015 earthquake. Hence, statement 2 is correct. — TPS allows immigrants from designated countries who do not have another legal status to stay in the United States for up to 18 months and obtain lawful work authorisation if their social circumstances prevent them from returning safely. — TPS is a temporary immigration status granted to nationals of certain countries who face issues that make deportation difficult or risky. Hence, statement 1 is correct. — It is a temporary immigration status granted to nationals of particular countries who are experiencing an ongoing armed conflict, an environmental disaster, or extreme and temporary circumstances. It grants foreign citizens from those nations a work permit and protection from deportation if they are in the United States at the time the government announces the designation. Hence, statement 3 is correct. Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer. (Other Source: With reference to Golden Dome missile defence system, consider the following statements: 1. It is inspired by Israel's much lauded Iron Dome system — a short-range, ground-to-air, air defence system. 2. It has been in the news since Russia used it against Ukraine, which ultimately led to NATO's sanctions. Which of the statements given above is/are true? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Explanation — US President Donald Trump has offered the 'Golden Dome' missile defence system for free to Canada, which had shown interest after the Republican leader announced it but added a rider that Ottawa can have it without paying any charge 'if it becomes part of the US' 51st State'. — First floated by Trump this January, the Golden Dome is inspired by Israel's much lauded Iron Dome system — a short-range, ground-to-air, air defence system. But it is far more ambitious in scale and scope, and seeks to integrate 'next-generation' technologies across land, sea, and even space. Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer. With reference to the International Institute of Administrative Sciences, consider the following statements: 1. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances has represented India as a Member State of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences since 1998. 2. The International Institute of Administrative Sciences is a Federation of 31 Member Countries. 3. While the IIAS is not a formally affiliated body of the UN, it actively engages with the UN's work in public administration. 4. In the 100 years history of IIAS, election to the post of President was held by ballot process in 2025 and it is the first time that India has secured the historic mandate for the Presidency of the IIAS. Which of the statements mentioned above is/are true? (a) 1 and 3 only (b) 2 and 4 only (c) 1, 3 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 Explanation — The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances has represented India as a Member State of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences since 1998. The International Institute of Administrative Sciences is a Federation of 31 Member Countries, 20 National Sections and 15 Academic Research Centres jointly collaborating for scientific research on public administration. Key member countries include – India, Japan, China, Germany, Italy, Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Mexico, Spain, Qatar, Morocco, Indonesia etc. — The IIAS maintains a close working relationship with the United Nations, and participates in the UN's Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) and the UN Public Administration Network (UNPAN). While the IIAS is not a formally affiliated body of the UN, it actively engages with the UN's work in public administration. — This is the first time in the 100 years history of IIAS that the election to the post of President was held by ballot process and it is the first time that India has secured the historic mandate for the Presidency of the IIAS. Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer. (Source: pib) With reference to Bank of International Settlements (BIS), consider the following statements: 1. It is owned by the European Union and it deals with countries from around the world that together account for about 95% of world GDP. 2. Its head office is in Basel, Switzerland. Which of the above given statements is/are true? 1 only 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Explanation According to BIS website: — Established in 1930, the BIS is owned by 63 central banks, representing countries from around the world that together account for about 95% of world GDP. Its head office is in Basel, Switzerland and it has two representative offices: in Hong Kong SAR and in Mexico City, as well as Innovation Hub Centres around the world. Hence, statement 1 is not correct and statement 2 is correct. Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer. Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 113) Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 113) Daily subject-wise quiz — Science and Technology (Week 113) Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 113) Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 113) Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 112) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. Manas Srivastava is currently working as Senior Copy Editor with The Indian Express (digital) and leads a unique initiative of IE - UPSC Essentials. He majorly writes on UPSC, other competitive exams and education-related projects. In the past, Manas has represented India at the G-20 Youth Summit in Mexico. He is a former member of the Youth Council, GOI. A two-time topper/gold medallist in History (both in graduation and post-graduation) from Delhi University, he has mentored and taught UPSC aspirants for more than four years. His diverse role in The Indian Express consists of writing, editing, anchoring/ hosting, interviewing experts, and curating and simplifying news for the benefit of students. He hosts the YouTube talk show called 'Art and Culture with Devdutt Pattanaik' and a LIVE series on Instagram and YouTube called 'You Ask We Answer'.His talks on 'How to read a newspaper' focus on newspaper reading as an essential habit for students. His articles and videos aim at finding solutions to the general queries of students and hence he believes in being students' editor, preparing them not just for any exam but helping them to become informed citizens. This is where he makes his teaching profession meet journalism. He is also the editor of UPSC Essentials' monthly magazine for the aspirants. He is a recipient of the Dip Chand Memorial Award, the Lala Ram Mohan Prize and Prof. Papiya Ghosh Memorial Prize for academic excellence. He was also awarded the University's Post-Graduate Scholarship for pursuing M.A. in History where he chose to specialise in Ancient India due to his keen interest in Archaeology. He has also successfully completed a Certificate course on Women's Studies by the Women's Studies Development Centre, DU. As a part of N.S.S in the past, Manas has worked with national and international organisations and has shown keen interest and active participation in Social Service. He has led and been a part of projects involving areas such as gender sensitisation, persons with disability, helping slum dwellers, environment, adopting our heritage programme. He has also presented a case study on 'Psychological stress among students' at ICSQCC- Sri Lanka. As a compere for seminars and other events he likes to keep his orating hobby alive. His interests also lie in International Relations, Governance, Social issues, Essays and poetry. ... Read More
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Andhra Pradesh raises maximum working hours from 9 to 10 to boost investment
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The TDP-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh has decided to raise the maximum working hours from nine to 10 per day as part of ease of doing business and attracting Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Minister K Parthasarathy said that it has been decided to amend labour laws to make them 'favourable' to workers and state secretary K Ramakrishna criticised the move and said NDA governments at the Centre and state are pursuing 'anti worker' policies."Relevant sections of laws which allow maximum nine hours of work a day has now been raised to 10 hours per day. Under Section 55 there used to be one hour rest for five hours (work) now that has been changed to six hours," said Parthasarathy recently, elaborating on the decisions made by the cabinet to amend labour Parthasarathy noted that overtime was allowed only up to 75 hours which now has been extended up to 144 hours per quarter."Because of this (amendments to labour laws), investors in factories will (come to our state). These labour rules will be favourable for labourers and they will come to invest more. Globalisation is happening in every state. These amendments were brought to implement global rules," said the minister observed that the cabinet has also relaxed night shift rules to enable more women to work in the night to the I&PR Minister, women were not allowed to work in the night shifts earlier but now they can work with safeguards such as consent, transport facility, security and said the workplace of women during night shifts should be fully illuminated."When you work extra, income will increase. By these rules women can work in the formal sector. They empower women economically and promote gender inclusion and industrial growth. Also contribute to women's empowerment," he K Ramakrishna, State Secretary of CPI, opposed the NDA alliance government's stand on labour laws amendments. He alleged that the Central and state governments are working against the interests of workers."For the past 11 years, the Modi government has repeatedly taken measures that infringe upon workers' rights in India," Ramakrishan told PTI on oppose these rules, he said trade unions have decided to protest on July 9 all over India, adding that all sections will participate in this protest he observed that the NDA governments both at the Centre and in the state are pursuing 'anti-worker policies'.
The National
29-05-2025
- General
- The National
US flag raised at the official ambassadorial residence in Damascus
Embassy remains closed for now, but the move is a sign of warming relations between Washington and the new Syrian government
Winnipeg Free Press
26-05-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Province gives funds to expand Virden's airport
The province is providing $1.65 million to upgrade Virden's airport. The upgrades will allow for greater capacity and capabilities for commercial operators, medical transfer flights and STARS air ambulance. Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard made the announcement at a news conference at Virden Regional Airport on Monday.
