Factory workers in Haryana to get wages through banks

Jhajjar (Haryana), Feb 14 (PTI) The Haryana governmenttoday ordered factories and industries in the state to paywages to labourers through banks to avoid irregularities.

This would be in the interest of both workers andindustrialists as there would be no irregularities in thedisbursement of wages and it would also save time, stateLabour Minister Shiv Charan Lal Sharma said.

"The accounts of all the workers will now be opened bythe industrialists or factory owners in the same bank, besidesputting up a sign board in front of their premises depictingall the facilities extended to the workers by the LabourWelfare Board.

It will also help workers get information about theirrights and the facilities being offered by the Board," hesaid, adding an ESI hospital would be opened at Bahadurgarhfor providing health services to the workers.

Sharma, who also holds employment, information andpublic relations portfolios of the state, said farmers andworkers have played an important role in nation building,hence the relationship between the labour and managementshould always be cordial.

Exhorting the industrialists and workers to work intandem, he said industrialists should focus and protect theinterest of the working class. The workers should be paid ontime and attention should be paid on their safety at workplaceand health, he added.

The minister maintained that the state government hadimplemented the new Labour Policy to ensure bettercoordination between workers and management, and implementwelfare schemes for the labour class.

Terming child and bonded labour as a social evil, heunderscored the need to bring about social awakening toeradicate it.

"The state government has constituted the Labour WelfareBoard to protect the interests of the workers. A number ofwelfare schemes are being implemented by the Board, includingscholarship scheme for the wards of the workers, financialassistance of Rs 21,000 on their daughters'' marriages...

Also, financial assistance for the widows of theworkers, in case of accidents, providing spectacles andtreatment for teeth and ears, and free of cost cycles to theworkers," he informed.

Sharma said the Board had made a budget Rs 13.60 crorefor the year 2010-11, out of which Rs 8.30 crore had alreadybeen spent on various schemes benefiting 13,847 workers.

As many as 10 labour welfare centres were being run inthe state by the Board to impart training to the wards ofworkers in tailoring, embroidery and other technical works, hesaid on the sidelines of a Haryana Labour Welfare Boardfunction at Bahadurgarh near here.