Frequent strikes, industrial lockouts cost India a dear in 2014

Strikes and lockouts connected with 146 industrial disputes in 2014 have cost the country Rs 200 crore (Rs 2 billion) worth of production loss, Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.

However, the number of strikes and lockouts during the last few years has not shown an increasing trend, Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya during question hour.

He said that in 2013, there was Rs 431 crore (Rs 4.31 billion) worth of production lost due to 200 industrial disputes, involving 10,59,749 workers.

There was Rs 469 crore (Rs 4.69 billion) worth production was lost due to 318 industrial dispute in 2012 in which 13,07,454 workers were involved.

He said the Industrial Disputes Act 1947 had provisions to resolve disputes speedily with fewer complications and with little or no cost.

Central Government Industrial Tribunal and Labour Courts were set up to resolve disputes without cumbersome legal hurdles.

Labour Ministry has developed a 'Shram Suvidha Portal' for online registration of units, reporting of inspections, submissions of annual returns and redressal of grievances.

The portal facilitates ease of reporting at one place for various labour laws through a single online annual return, consolidate information of labour inspections and its enforcement, thereby enhancing transparency in labour inspections and providing effective grievance redressal system, the Minister said.