Explain any two most important recent reforms/ammendments in labour laws.

Ministry of Labour and Employment has taken a number of initiatives for bringing transparency and accountability through reforms and enforcement of Labour Laws, with the objective of strengthening the safety, security, health, social security for every worker and bringing ease of compliance for running an establishment to catalyze creation of employment opportunities. These initiatives include: Legislative reforms by simplifying, amalgamating and rationalizing the existing labour laws into 4 labour codes i.e., Labour Code on Wages, Labour Code on Industrial Relations, Labour Code on Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions and Labour Code on Social Security & Welfare. Governance reforms through use of e-governance measures: Unified Online Annual Returns have been made mandatory in respect of eight (8) Central Labour Acts. Facility for exemption from Labour Inspections under six (6) Central Labour Acts is being provided to the Start-ups which submit self-certified declarations through Shram Suvidha Portal. Government of India has launched two pension schemes for old age protection and social security of Unorganized Workers in 2019. The Payment Of Gratuity (Amendment) Act, 2018, provides flexibility to the Central Government firstly to increase the ceiling limit of gratuity to such amount as may be notified from time to time and secondly to enhance the calculation of continuous service for the purpose of gratuity in case of female employees who are on maternity leave to such period as may be notified from time to time. Payment of Wages (Amendment) Act, 2017 enabling payment of Wages to employees by Cash or Cheque or crediting it to their bank account. Maternity Benefit Amendment Act, 2017, increases the paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks. The Employee Compensation (Amendment) Act, 2017 seeks to rationalize penalties and strengthen the rights of the workers under the Act.