Introduction
The maintenance of industrial peace and harmony by the timely intervention and settlement of industrial disputes between the management of industrial establishments and their workers is the main function of the Labour Department Officials. They are also responsible for the enforcement of the various labour legislations which are designed to confer security of service, ensure better service conditions and promote social security to the workers and the unorganised.
Apart from enforcing the labour laws and the settlement of industrial disputes, the officials of the Labour Department function as quasi judicial officers under labour laws like Workmen's Compensation Act, Payment of Wages Act, Payment of Gratuity Act, Tamilnadu Shops and Establishments Act, Tamilnadu Catering Establishments Act, and Tamilnadu Conferment of Permanent Status Act. The affected workers can file claims under these Acts before the concerned officials of the Labour Department and redress their grievances.
The Department of Labour has also been entrusted with the enforcement of the Legal Metrology Act 2009 and the Tamil Nadu Legal Metrology Enforcement Rules 2011. By enforcing this Act and the Rules the Department of Labour ensures protection for consumers interest & that the public get the exact weight or measure of the quantity they are purchasing.
A list of the labour laws enforced by this department is as under:-
- The Employees Compensation Act, 1923
- The Trade Unions Act, 1926
- The Payment of Wages Act, 1936 and Rules 1937
- The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 .
- The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
- The Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishments Act, 1947.
- The Minimum Wages Act, 1948.
- The Plantations Labour Act, 1951.
- The Working Journalists and other Newspaper Employees' (Conditions of Service and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1955.
- The Tamil Nadu Catering Establishments Act, 1958.
- The Tamil Nadu Industrial Establishments (National,Festival and Special Holidays) Act, 1958.
- The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961.
- The Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961.
- The Payment of Bonus Act, 1965.
- The Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966.
- The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970.
- The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972.
- The Tamil Nadu Labour Welfare Fund Act, 1972.
- The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976.
- The Sales Promotion Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1976.
- Legal Metrology Act 2009 and Tamil Nadu Legal Metrology Enforcement Rules 2011.
- Inter/State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of service) Act, 1979
- The Tamil Nadu Industrial Establishments (Conferment of permanent Status to Workmen) Act, 1981.
- The Tamil Nadu Payment of Subsistence Allowance Act, 1981.
- The Tamil Nadu Manual Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of work) Act, 1982.
- Cine workers and Cinema Theatre Workers (Regulations of Employment) Act,1981.
