No intention to abolish BOCW board: Centre

New Delhi: The government on Tuesday said that the social security code was at the drafting stage only and it had no intention to either abolish the BOCW board or discontinue registration or abolish cess.

Reacting to a report by the Millennium Post titled "Campaign panel writes to PM, opposes Government move to subsume Labour

Laws into 4 Codes", published on July 8, 2019, the Ministry of Labour & Employment said, "The Government is

committed to the welfare, social security, safety and decent working conditions to all the workers."

"The Government is currently drafting 4 codes and issues raised by the campaign panel would form part of the Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) and the Code on Social Security."

The working conditions, welfare and social security provisions relating to construction workers are currently part of two Acts viz., (i) the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 and (ii) the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1996.

The issues flagged by the Campaign Committee include - repealing of BOCW Act 1996; closure of 36 States BOCW Welfare boards;

cancellation of registration of worker; abolishing of cess; compromising social security; and Minimum wages to building and other construction workers.