The Lok Sabha today passed three bills on labour code, amid boycott of house proceedings by several opposition parties, including Congress, in protest against the suspension of eight MPs of Rajya Sabha.<br />''<br />''The new legislations are: Occupational Safety, Health And Working Conditions Code, 2020, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, and the Code On Social Security, 2020.<br />''<br />''Replying to the debate, Union Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar said, the labour reforms will prove to be a milestone for the welfare of workers. He said, these labour codes will play a significant role in protecting the interests of the labourers. <br />''<br />''Mr Gangwar said, the government has come out with the changes in the legislation after extensive consultations with state governments and other stakeholders. He said, about three-fourth of the recommendations of the standing committee which scrutinised the codes have been incorporated in the bills by the government.<br />''<br />''Mr Gangwar said, among the prominent new inclusion in the laws are ensuring compensation to the labours hit by accidents, easy dispute resolution mechanism for the labourers and facilities to register under ESI scheme even by small industrial units.<br />''<br />''According to the minister, over 29 labour laws have been merged into four codes and that one (Code on Wages Bill, 2019 ) of them has already been passed.<br />''<br />''The Occupational Safety, Health And Working Conditions Code, 2020 will consolidate and amend the laws regulating the occupational safety, health and working conditions of the persons employed in an establishment and related matters.<br />''<br />''The Industrial Relations Code, 2020 seeks to consolidate and amend the laws relating to Trade Unions, conditions of employment in industrial establishment or undertaking, investigation and settlement of industrial disputes.<br />''Similarly, the Code On Social Security, 2020 will amend and consolidate the laws relating to social security with the goal to extend social security to all employees and workers either in the organised or unorganised sectors.<br />''<br />''Mr Gangwar said, efforts have been made to work out a balance between welfare of workes and ease of doing business for the industry.<br />''<br />''Initiating the debate on the bills, Pallab Lochan Das of BJP said that it is for the first time such an extensive labour reforms are being undertaken in the country.<br />''<br />''Although the country has 44 labour laws for the past several decades, the standard of living of workers has not improved, Das said.<br />''BJD member Pinaki Misra said, there could have been minimum health and safety standards in the code, and also suggested that the government to have relook at the defintion of 'workers'.<br />''<br />''While supporting the bill, he also said that certain provisions needed to be relooked at.<br />''<br />''Margani Bharat (YSR Cong) said, the codes will push forward the ease of doing business in the country as well as help in attracting more foreign direct investments.<br />''<br />''Other who participated in the debate include Virendra Kumar, Vinode Kumar Sonkar and Dilip Ghosh, all BJP, Jayadev Galla of BJD and Dileshwar Kamait  of JD-U, P Raveendranath Kumar of AIADMK and Hanuman Beniwal of RLP.<br />''<br />''Several opposition parties, including the Congress and the TMC, today boycotted Lok Sabha proceedings in solidarity with the eight Rajya Sabha members who were suspended for unruly behaviour. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of Congress said all opposition parties are boycotting Parliament in solidarity with the Rajya Sabha members who were suspended on Monday.<br />''<br />''Opposition parties, including Congress, TMC, BSP and TRS, walked out of the Lok Sabha. Mr. Chowdhury however did not specify for how long the boycott would continue.<br />''<br />''Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla warned that members should not mention about the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha. He said, all references made by members would be removed from the records.<br />''<br />''The opposition boycott came after eight opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha were suspended on Monday for the remainder of the Monsoon session for "unruly behaviour" during the passage of two farm bills, prompting the suspended leaders to go on an indefinite sit-in inside Parliament complex.<br />''<br />''Earlier, the Lok Sabha had to be adjourned for an hour after a protest by opposition members who claimed that the government has done too little for the welfare of the farmers.<br />''<br />''Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar's announcement on increasing the Minimum Support Price of six Rabi crops was too little for farmers who have been agitating mainly in Punjab and Haryana against two farm bills passed by Parliament.<br />''<br />''T R Baalu of DMK and Kalyan Banerjee of TMC supported Mr. Chowdhury. When opposition members shouted slogans and came near the Well of the House, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the house for an hour, after about 15 minutes of business. Mr Birla said the Coronavirus pandemic is on and every member has to take precautions. He then adjourned the House for an hour.<br />''<br />''Farmer groups in Punjab, Haryana and some other states are protesting against the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020.<br />''<br />''On Monday, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar announced an increase in the MSP for six rabi crops for 2020-21 crop year (July-June) and 2021-22 marketing season. The MSP for wheat, the biggest crop of rabi season, has been hiked by Rs. 50 to Rs. 1,975 per quintal, the MSP for Gram has been increased by Rs. 225 to Rs. 5,100 per quintal, for barley by Rs. 75 to Rs. 1,600 per quintal.<br />''<br />''As soon as the House assembled at 3 PM, D M Kathir Anand of DMK alleged that two persons, who claimed to be from the IB, barged into his room at Old Tamil Nadu House in Delhi and sought to know from him about issues to be raised by the party in Parliament. Anand claimed that the two persons also wanted to know what would be the party's strategy and about some local issues of Tamil Nadu.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">"They tried to interrogate me," he claimed, amidst protests by DMK leader Baalu and others. At this, the Lok Sabha Speaker said the two persons could be frauds. Ravneet Singh Bittu of Congress also claimed that he and three other MPs from Punjab were brutally assaulted by Delhi police personnel outside Parliament on Monday evening when they were trying to take out a candle light march to Rashtrapati Bhavan against the two farm bills.</span><br />