Date:09/09/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/09/09/stories/2007090961231200.htm

National

Amendment for higher bonus slab before festival season

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The government is planning to bring in an amendment to the Bonus Act for increasing the upper slab before the coming festival season.

The Bill will be passed in the current session of Parliament or the government will bring in an ordinance, Communist Party of India MP Gurudas Dasgupta has said.

The information was provided by Minister of State for Labour Oscar Fernandes at a meeting of the Consultative Committee on Labour here on Friday.

The Bill to provide social security for unorganised sector workers would also be introduced this session.

Mr. Dasgupta said the Bill, as approved by the Cabinet earlier, was amended and would be referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee.

Also, the government introduced an amendment to the Maternity Benefit Act to ensure six weeks each of pre and post-natal paid leave for women. Any violation would attract a fine and imprisonment. Six weeks of paid leave would also be allowed in case of miscarriage.

“However, there seems to be no monitoring mechanism,” Mr. Dasgupta said.