Strengthening Labour Administration and Labour Inspection Services in India

Through this Norwegian-funded project, the ILO is assisting constituents in India to strengthen and modernize their labour administration and inspection to enhance their overall effectiveness and impact.

Project description

Through this Norwegian-funded project, the ILO is assisting constituents in India – both at the national and state levels – in their efforts to strengthen and modernize their labour administration machinery and labour inspectorates to help them enhance their overall effectiveness and impact. The project is under implementation at the national level and in four states, namely: Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

Background and rationale

Economic challenges have been calling for the adoption and implementation of responsive and efficient socio economic and labour policies, which are only possible on the basis of a sound, coordinated and efficiently operating labour administration machinery, including viable labour ministries, employment services, functioning coordination mechanisms and platforms for consultations with social partners. In addition, well-performing labour inspectorates are indispensable as they are part of the executive machinery of the labour administration system.

Even though there is a general consensus on the benefits and needs of labour inspection and labour administration, the real impact of labour inspectors and labour administration has often been small, especially amongst vulnerable or hard-to-reach groups and the expanding informal economy. India is faced with a big share of the population working in the informal sector under a decent work deficit. The India Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) for 2013-17 includes labour administration as an important element in combating unacceptable forms of employment as one of the main priorities. The labour administration system in India is manifold and complex, with labour inspection services at both the national and state level, which makes coordination of inspection services a particular challenge.

Project strategy

In line with the DWCP 2013-17 priority 4 aimed at enhancing labour administration, tripartism and social dialogue at the national and state levels, the project strategy is to assist the Government of India and selected State Governments to strengthen and modernize their labour administration machinery and labour inspectorates. The project will target the following strategic interventions:
  1. Labour administration and inspection systems strengthened to expand coverage to the informal economy workers.
  2. Social dialogue strengthened to promote coordination and contribute to policy development aimed at efficient and effective labour market governance. The project will promote and strengthen social dialogue by sharing good practices both at the national and international levels
  3. Coordination, planning and evaluation. The project will assist the Governments at the national and state levels in strengthening the capacity of governments to improve coordination and national/state systems of labour administration and inspection as well as in enhancing the ability of institutions to plan, program and evaluate their activities.

Progress

  1. Studies:

    • At the national, one study on the performance of labour administration in India has been conducted by the V.V. Giri National Labour Institute (VVGNLI). This study was presented in the National Tripartite Seminar on ‘Enhancing Labour Administration’s Performance and Strengthening Tripartite Social Dialogue’, which took place on October 13, 2015. In December 2015, this national study will be presented in a 3-day Experts’ Meeting on Reforms and Innovations in Labour Administration in Prague.
    • Four state-level mapping studies on the functioning of labour administration and tripartite social dialogue institutions and processes have been conducted in Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu by research consultants. Throughout the project, tripartite constituents have been interviewed and consulted by the research consultants with the aim of capturing their various viewpoints and vast experiences. These four mapping studies were also presented at the National Tripartite Seminar on ‘Enhancing Labour Administration’s Performance and Strengthening Tripartite Social Dialogue’.
  2. Consultations at the state level:

    • In the initial stages of the state-level mapping studies on tripartite social dialogue and labour administration, Tripartite Consultations were held in the four states with the objective of gathering preliminary findings. In these consultations, the social partners and government representatives had the opportunity to share their experiences with tripartite social dialogue and labour administration.
    • Before the reports were finalized, validation workshops were held in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu in which the research consultants presented the findings and recommendations of their report. During the validation workshops, the social partners and Government representatives discussed their comments and suggestions on the report.
  3. National Events:

    • The ILO, in collaboration with V.V. Giri National Labour Institute, organized a national tripartite seminar on “Enhancing Labour Administration’s Performance and Strengthening Tripartite Social Dialogue” on 13 October 2015 in New Delhi. In this seminar, the findings of a national study on the performance of labour administration in India, conducted by VVGNLI, was presented and discussed. In addition, the findings of four state-level studies on the functioning of tripartite social dialogue institutions and processes were presented (i.e., Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu). In addition, the seminar included comparative sessions in which best international practices were shared and discussed. The objective of the seminar was to discuss the way forward and for constituents to brainstorm a strategic work plan aimed at addressing the gaps and challenges identified by the studies in effort to strengthen labour administration as well as tripartite social dialogue. For the materials of the seminar, please click here .

Key Partners

National level:

  • Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE)
  • V.V. Giri National Labour Institute (VVGNLI)

State level:

  • Government of Karnataka
  • Trade unions in Karnataka
  • Employers’ organizations in Karnataka
  • Government of Kerala
  • Trade unions in Kerala
  • Employers’ organizations in Kerala
  • Government of Maharashtra
  • Trade unions in Maharashtra
  • Employers’ organizations in Maharashtra
  • Government of Tamil Nadu
  • Trade unions in Tamil Nadu
  • Employers’ organizations in Tamil Nadu

For further information please contact

Ms Kanagarani Selvakumar
Program Assistant
Email