Labour and Employment Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, introduced two labour reform Bills – The Factories (Amendment) Bill 2014 and the Apprentices Amendment Bill 2014 in the Lok Sabha yesterday aimed at empowering the centre to make rules in consultation with states to bring uniformity in the areas of occupational safety, health and welfare of workers.

The Factories Amendment Bill, 2014 amends the Act of 1948 to incorporate developments in the industry over the last two decades. The developments include changes in the manufacturing practices and emergence of new technologies, ratification of ILO Conventions, judicial decisions and recommendations of various empowered committees.