Govt plugs gaps in contract worker rules

The government has asked states to issue separate notifications allowing fixed-term employment at all private sector companies, seeking to plug a gap that prevented most firms from taking the benefits of one of the biggest labour law reforms in recent years.

In March, the government notified the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Central (Amendment) Rules, 2018, allowing industries to hire fixed-term employment workers – a form of contract system with a fixed tenure. Such workers are entitled to all statutory benefits available to a permanent worker in the same