No request from any Trade Union for setting up a statutory authority to handle labour issues in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) has been received. According to the Department of Commerce (Ministry of Commerce and Industry), the nodal Department, all labour laws are applicable in SEZs and thus the rights of workers are protected under the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shri Oscar Fernandes (Independent Charge) in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today. Applicability of labour laws: workers in SEZs retain statutory protections under the Special Economic Zones Act. All labour laws apply within Special Economic Zones, and workers' rights are protected under the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005; no trade union has requested creation of a separate statutory authority to handle labour issues in SEZs, and the nodal department considers the existing labour statutes and the SEZ Act as the operative framework for regulating employment conditions and protecting workers in SEZs.