UGC NET/JRF EXAM, DECEMBER-2023 Labour and Social Welfare

According to the provisions of the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, the minimum number of persons to be nominated by the appropriate government to the Advisory Committee is ten.

This committee is tasked with advising the government on issues related to the implementation of the Act, which includes ensuring that there is no discrimination in wages between men and women for work of similar nature.

The involvement of ten members allows for a broad range of perspectives, which is crucial for addressing the complex issues surrounding gender equality in compensation. This diverse composition helps in making informed and effective recommendations that can drive meaningful change in the area of wage equality.

An exempted establishment formed under the provisions of the Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 is required to establish a Board of Trustees for the administration of the fund.

This board is responsible for managing the provident fund at the establishment level, ensuring that contributions are properly collected, managed, and disbursed to the beneficiaries in accordance with the rules set forth by the Act.

The establishment of a Board of Trustees allows for more direct and efficient management of the funds, which can be tailored to meet the specific needs and circumstances of the exempted establishment, providing a more focused oversight than would be possible under a more centralized system.

Friedlender defined Social Welfare as 'The organized system of social services and institutions designed to aid individuals and groups to attain satisfying standards of life and health, and personal and social relationships which permit them to develop their full capacities and to promote their well-being in harmony with the needs of their families and community'.

This definition encapsulates the broad scope of social welfare, emphasizing not only the provision of services and support to improve individual and group well-being but also the enhancement of personal and social relationships.

It reflects an understanding of social welfare as a comprehensive approach to fostering human development, societal health, and harmonious community life, highlighting the role of social services and institutions in achieving these goals.

Leave travel facilities are not included as intra-mural amenities by the committee of experts on welfare facilities for industrial workers constituted by the International Labour Organisation in 1963.

Intra-mural amenities refer to the welfare facilities provided within the premises of the workplace, which typically include washing and bathing facilities, latrines and urinals, and health services including occupational safety.

These amenities are directly related to the health and safety of workers while they are at their place of employment. Leave travel facilities, on the other hand, are considered extra-mural amenities as they pertain to benefits that assist workers outside of their immediate work environment, offering support. for travel that is not directly connected to their daily job duties.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which embodies the right to social security as a fundamental human right, was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.

This landmark document establishes the basic human rights that should be universally protected, including the right to social security, which acknowledges that every individual, as a member of society, has the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age, or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond their control.

The declaration has been a pivotal reference for international human rights law and has influenced many national constitutions and legal frameworks around the world, establishing the principle that individuals should be supported by society when they are most vulnerable.

The Royal Commission on Labour was appointed under the Chairmanship of J.H. Whitley in the year 1929. This commission was tasked with investigating conditions in the labour market in British India, with a focus on understanding the challenges faced by workers, including working conditions, wages, and employment stability.

The commission's findings and recommendations played a significant role in shaping labour policies during the period, leading to reforms intended to improve the rights and welfare of workers. The work of the Royal Commission on Labour was pivotal in bringing about legislative and regulatory changes that laid the groundwork for modern labour laws in the region.

The supply curve of individual labour is typically characterized as backward bending. This concept illustrates that as wages increase beyond a certain point, the quantity of labour supplied may actually decrease.

This phenomenon occurs because higher wages allow individuals to earn the same income with fewer hours worked, leading to a preference for more leisure time as opposed to more work hours.

The backward bending supply curve of labour represents the trade-off between earning income and enjoying leisure, highlighting an important aspect of labour economics that as wages rise, the opportunity cost of working additional hours also increases, leading individuals to choose more leisure time over additional work.

Advanced capitalist economies generally suffer from cyclical unemployment, which is directly related to the business cycle phases such economies experience. Cyclical unemployment occurs when there is insufficient demand for goods and services in the economy, which leads to a reduction in production and consequently fewer workers being needed.

During economic downturns or recessions, businesses cut back on spending and investment, which results in job losses and higher unemployment rates. Conversely, in times of economic expansion, demand for goods and services increases, businesses expand operations, and employment levels rise.

This type of unemployment is distinct from structural unemployment, which is caused by changes in the economy that fundamentally alter the types of jobs available, and from classical unemployment, which arises from wages being above the market-clearing level.

Modern economists often advocate that expansionary monetary policy is effective in increasing employment. This approach involves a central bank increasing the money supply and lowering interest rates, which makes borrowing cheaper, encourages investment and consumption, and can lead to increased demand for labour as businesses expand.

Expansionary monetary policy is used to stimulate the economy during periods of slow economic growth or recession.

By lowering interest rates, it aims to reduce the cost of borrowing, encourage spending by businesses and consumers, and ultimately increase production capacity, which leads to job creation and a reduction in unemployment.

In an income-leisure diagram, the wage rate is graphically represented by the slope of the budget line. The budget line in such a diagram illustrates the trade-offs between earning income and enjoying leisure time that an individual faces.

The slope of the budget line is determined by the wage ratethe rate at which the individual can trade leisure for income. A steeper slope indicates a higher wage rate, which implies that less leisure time needs to be sacrificed to earn a given amount of income.

Conversely, a flatter slope indicates a lower wage rate, meaning more leisure time would need to be given up to earn the same amount of income. This graphical representation helps in understanding how changes in the wage rate can affect an individual's choice between work and leisure.