NEW DELHI: The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Rameswar Teli in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today informed that the Ministry of Labour and Employment has launched e-SHRAM portal, a National Database of the Unorganised Workers on 26th August, 2021 for registration of unorganised workers seeded with Aadhaar. To increase the number of registrations, the matter is taken up with all the States/UTs from time to time. The registration facility is available at over 4 lakh CSC centres across the country. State Seva Kendras have also been taken on board. Further, CSC organises awareness camps (including night camps) at various places for mobilisation of workers. e-SHRAM portal has also been on boarded on UMANG App for easy registration through mobile. Rs. 45.39 crore has been sanctioned/disbursed for development and maintenance of eSHRAM portal. Teli said that Government has taken various steps to improve women’s participation in the labour force and quality of their employment. A number of protective provisions have been incorporated in the labour laws for equal opportunity and congenial work environment for women workers. These include enhancement in paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks, provision for mandatory creche facility in the establishments having 50 or more employees, permitting women workers in the night shifts with adequate safety measures, etc. Government has taken a decision to allow the employment of women in the above/ground mines including opencast workings between 7 pm and 6 am and in below ground working between 6 am and 7 pm in technical, supervisory and managerial work where continuous presence may not be required. In the written reply, it was stated that the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 now subsumed in the Code on Wages, 2019 which provides that there shall be no discrimination in an establishment or any unit thereof among employees on the ground of gender in matters relating to wages by the same employer, in respect of the same work or work of similar nature done by any employee. Further, no employer shall make any discrimination on the ground of gender while recruiting any employee for the same work or work of similar nature in the conditions of employment, except where the employment of women in such work is prohibited or restricted by or under any law for the time being in force. Further, in order to enhance the employability of female workers, the Government is providing training to them through a network of Women Industrial Training institutes, National Vocational Training Institutes and Regional Vocational Training Institutes. As on 29-01-2023 more than 28.55 crore unorganised workers have been registered on e-SHRAM Portal out of which 52.80 per cent are female workers. Source: PIB