Social dialogue brings forwards the realities of world of work

Ms. Dagmar Walter, Director, ILO Decent Work Team for South Asia and Country Office for India provided her opening remarks at the Virtual meeting with Trade Unions on Draft Wage Rules

Statement | New Delhi, India | 14 August 2020
  • Brothers and Sisters from trade unions,
  • Technical resource persons Prof. Babu Mathew and Advocate Ramapriya,
  • Specialists at ILO and my colleagues,
  • Distinguished guests and participants,
Namaskar and Good morning.

It is my privilege to speak on a very timely and relevant topic of draft wage rules. This goes back to our discussion in November 2019 when ILO ACTRAV and Country Office for India organized a two-day consultation with the TUs, researchers and lawyers to review the Labour Codes. All the Central Trade Unions jointly submitted the recommendations on three Codes and wage rules. I understand that Parliamentary Standing Committee further convened a series of dialogues with the TUs on their recommendations.

As you all know, Government of India last year requested ILO to provide technical support to prepare technical guidelines on wage determination. ILO is always committed to support constituents to reach a consensus through social dialogue and tripartite practice.

In the month of July 2020, Ministry of Labour and Employment published a fresh draft of the Rules on Wage Code for public comments and central Trade Unions have requested us to organize another consultation including technical support from lawyers/researchers for further reviewing the draft rules.

Accordingly, I hope that today’s consultation will support you in preparing your recommendations for submission. It will also facilitate in analysing the draft rules to identify the gaps in comparison with the ILO standards, Constitution of India and other instruments.

No one can ignore that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a new situation, which we now have to compose with. As the crisis has laid bare the fault lines in the economy and society, it also now provides us an opportunity to bring about improvements, to lay the foundations for a better normal, hopefully avoiding the hardships workers and business are currently facing in the future.

As you are aware, the ILO has released regular assessments of the situation. The monitors also promote a four-pillar policy response framework for recovering from the impact of COVID-19, which include:
  1. Protecting workers in the workplace
  2. Stimulating economic and labour demand
  3. Supporting employment and incomes
  4. Using social dialogue between government, workers and employers to find solutions.
This re-organisation of modalities for carrying out economic activities in the new normal highlights the importance of ‘Social Dialogue’. This practice brings together government, workers’ and employers’ organizations in formulating policies that reflect world of work realities. In times of crisis, only this process can build the much-needed trust for safe return to work.

Developing assurance of being protected in work and adopting flexible work modalities will determine sustenance of enterprises and will also pave the way for improve productivity. It will contribute to faster recovery from this pandemic.

Above all, we must implement these measures ensuring equity and inclusiveness. Our ‘New Normal’, should be responsive to the needs of gender, age, physical and mental abilities, irrespective of nature of employment, contractual, formal or informal.

Our Office will release a Discussion Paper on the draft Wage Rules in the coming days.

I once again thank you all for your participation and presence during the meeting today. I assure our continued support solidarity with the workers and businesses in the World of Work.

Thank you for your kind attention.