Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday honoured 338 workers of public and private sectors with Prime Minister’s Shram Awards for their distinguished record of performance. The awards pertained to six years, 2011 to 2016.

Complimenting the Shram award winners, he said that millions of workers are working round the clock to keep the wheels of economy running. The Shram Awards honoured workers “making silent but significant contribution” for the growth and development of the nation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Naidu recalled, the other day, said that Indian economy had transformed from being a fragile economy to being among the leading engines of global economy. This would not have been possible without the contributions of the millions of our workforce, the Vice-President said.

Naidu said that improving the productivity of the workforce was the main challenge. “If workers produce more per hour, there is more of output and income to share,” he said.

Looking at the issues of productivity of workforce, employment for the growing numbers and the need to push economic growth rates, he said, there was an imperative need for evolving a political consensus on reforms in labour laws with a human face.

“We cannot live with rules which come in the way of creating more job opportunities. Rules that make running of an enterprise difficult need to be relooked at. There is widespread acknowledgement that present labour laws are coming in the way of increased investment flows. If that is the case, should they not be examined to find solutions,” he said.

The Vice President asked the government and private sector to address the concerns, needs and aspirations of the work force by ensuring an appropriate eco-system.

Minister for Labour and Employment Santosh Kumar Gangwar said the government was committed to protect workers’ rights and their welfare.

He said that initiatives of the Ministry of Labour and Employment directly affect more than 50 per cent of Indian population, whereas indirectly they cater to almost entire population.

He told the gathering about the labour reforms initiatives and said the Code on Social Security proposes to universalise the social security cover for all workers. “Minimum Government and Maximum governance” was the guiding principle of his ministry in its policy discourse, he said.