Ludhiana, May 11 (KNN) Taking a cue fr0m other states, the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Punjab have demanded exemption from Certain Labour Laws Ordinance, 2020.

S Upkar Singh Ahuja, President and Pankaj Sharma, General Secretary, Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU) met Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Cabinet Minister, Food and Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs, Government of Punjab to update about the issues being faced by the industry.

''Exemptions have been demanded from Certain Labour Laws Ordinance, 2020 for all establishments, factories, and businesses from the purview of all but four labour laws, for three years just as the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has passed and waived fixed charges by PSPCL,'' said CICU in a statement on Monday.

''It will bring a big relief to the industry,'' the statement added.

Bhushan Ashu assured that he will take up the matter with the government and resolve the issues as well.

Recently, in a bid to ease out labour related problems for the MSMEs in the state, Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has suspended almost all Labour Laws for the next three years.

"The nation-wide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic has slowed the pace of industrial and economic activities in the state, which has also impacted the welfare of labourers and that makes this ordinance necessary,'' said UP government in a statement.

"For encouraging new investments, setting up new industrial infrastructure and benefit of existing industries and factories, it is imperative that they are provided temporary exempted from the existing labour laws in the state. Therefore, it is important that existing labour laws in Uttar Pradesh are relaxed for a period of three years. To this end 'Uttar Pradesh Temporary Exemption frm Certain Labour Laws Ordinance, 2020' has been introduced," the statement added.