In a recent development, the Government of Karnataka has amended the Karnataka Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Rules, 1961 (“Karnataka SO Rules”) to include ‘fixed term workman’ as an additional classification of workmen.  As per the amended rules, a ‘fixed term workman’

(i)       is a workman who has been engaged on the basis of written contract of employment  for a fixed period’;

(ii)     would be eligible to wages, allowances and benefits that are equivalent to permanent workmen; and

(iii)   would be eligible for all statutory benefits available to permanent workmen, pro-rated based on the duration of employment, even if the duration of employment does not meet the statutory thresholds for the payment of such benefits.

State Governments of Goa, Bihar and Punjab have also made similar amendments to the state rules framed under the Industrial Employment Standing Orders Act, 1961.