There is no question of any labour law exemption in special economic or any zone, the Union Labour Minister, Mr Mallikarjun Kharge, said here on Friday. However, he added that some powers may be vested with district magistrates, labour commissioners, etc in this regard.

The Labour Ministry was pushing for national-level labour laws to be strictly implemented in all zones, he said, while addressing a meet on ‘Decent Work for Youth', organised by the Ministry and International Labour Organisation.

On social protection for workers, Mr Kharge said the Ministry was moving an amendment in labour laws to put in place a national floor level. “But, for its implementation, I need the co-operation of all stakeholders – State Governments, employers and employee representatives,” he said, and added that labour was a State issue.

Mr Kharge said the number of unorganised sector workers to be covered by social protection was at an all-time high at 28.7 million in 2010-11 against 26.4 million in 2004-05.

Earlier, Ms Tine Staermose from the ILO's Country Office here, said youth were particularly vulnerable to marginalisation of the labour market as they lack skills, job search abilities etc. As a result, in developing countries, they are forced to seek jobs in the informal economy.

Expressing concern over rising youth unemployment, Ms Staermose said globally it had gone up by 5.1 million and by 2012, four out of 10 unemployed was a young woman or man.

She said uprisings such as the ‘Arab Spring' were reflections of disillusioned and disenfranchised youth, many of whom are unemployed or in jobs that do not fully utilise their skills and abilities.

To promote dialogues among youth, policymakers and social partners to identify good practices in youth employment, the ILO is holding national events in 50 countries, she added.

aditi.n@thehindu.co.in

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