Covid-19: Govts must build comprehensive work from home policies, says Union labour secretary Apurva Chandra

Union labour secretary Apurva Chandra (proper)

In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, governments should search to construct complete earn a living from home (WFH) insurance policies, Union labour secretary Apurva Chandra, who accomplished his tenure as Chair of the Governing Physique of Worldwide Labour Organisation (ILO) on June 25, stated.

Chandra handed over the Chair to ambassador Anna Jardfelt, Everlasting Consultant of Sweden to the United Nations Workplace in Geneva. India had assumed chairmanship of the governing physique of ILO after a spot of 35 years for the interval from October 2020 to June, 2021.

Delivering his concluding speech earlier than the Governing Physique in Geneva, Chandra stated many employers have been exploring choices of WFH and in addition as a long-term alternative to complement current work preparations, with a view to mitigate the challenges of Covid-19 pandemic.

“As member international locations of ILO, dedicated to selling rights at work, encouraging first rate employment alternatives and enhancing social safety, governments in session with nationwide staff’ and employers’ representatives should search to construct complete WFH insurance policies,” Chandra stated.

The ILO has already devised worldwide requirements in type of Conference (177) and Suggestion (184) that regulates WFH in a complete method.

By way of a draft mannequin standing orders for companies, manufacturing and mining sectors concurrently issued on December 31 final yr, the Indian labour ministry had proposed to formalise WFH facility for the companies sector alone, however left the manufacturing and mining sectors outdoors the ambit of the idea for now. The draft is but to be finalised.

Relating to the proliferation of gig and platform, which has been reshaping labour processes and reworking the way forward for work and related rights of staff concerned, Chandra emphasised the function of ILO in “devising versatile requirements that assist progressive realisation of rights of gig and platform staff in a phased method.”

Chandra additionally recommended that the ILO might contemplate together with some quantity of flexibility within the conventions to go well with the nationwide circumstances of the member international locations. “It will maybe enhance the variety of ratifications by member international locations,” he stated.