Trade Unions remain opposed to Labour Codes

Trade unions continue to remain opposed to the Labour Codes even as the Centre is hoping to resolve differences and roll out the long delayed Codes at the earliest.

Most central trade unions have indicated serious reservations over the Codes in recent consultations with the Labour Ministry. They are expected to meet later this month to chalk out a plan of action in case the Codes are implemented.

CITU General Secretary, Tapan Sen said, the trade union has met the Labour Ministry on September 2. “All trade unions have said that the Labour Codes have to be revisited and can not be notified in the present form and content. If they are notified, trade unions will oppose and the Codes will lead to conflict in workplace,” he said.

As part of consensus building over the four Codes, the Labour Ministry has been holding discussions with the industry and employer representatives as well as trade unions to understand their concerns and smoothen out any issues. The Centre is keen on notifying the long pending Codes at the earliest, and if possible this fiscal year.

‘Codes of slavery’

“We have been against these Labour Codes and consider them to be the Codes of slavery of workers. The government has rejected the suggestions of all central trade unions,” said Rajiv Dimri, General Secretary, AICCTU, adding that he registered his opposition of the Codes when he met with the Labour Minister, Bhupender Yadav, in the last week of August.

“The Codes were demanded by the employers and not by the employees. We have been demanding that the government should look at implementing the existing labour laws. Minimum wages have not been implemented till now,” he pointed out.

Harbhajan Singh Siddhu, General Secretary, Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) said that the trade unions have given a detailed representation to the Labour Ministry raising their concerns on various provisions of the Codes.

“HMS has (always) been against the Codes. Over 85 per cent of the workers will be out of labour laws. Similarly, more than 65 per cent of the small scale industries will be out of the purview of the labour laws. The Codes will benefit employers, not employees,” he told BusinessLine.

Unions not consulted

Sanjay Kumar Singh, General Secretary, INTUC said the trade unions have not been invited for a consultation but had previously given representations stating that the Codes would lead to the exploitation of workers.

“All trade unions are against the Codes. We have been calling for a meeting of the Indian Labour Conference to discuss the Codes. If they are implemented in the present form, they will lead to a lot of industrial unrest,” he said.

Previously, RSS-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, after a meeting with the Labour Minister on August 23, had said that it does not oppose the Code on Wages and the Code on Social Security. It had, however expressed reservations over various provisions over the Code on Industrial Relations, such as those relating to fixed term employment and enhancing the threshold limit of workers from 100 to 300 workers.

Agitations planned

Earlier, the 10 Central trade unions (CTUs) had opposed the four Codes and had asked the Labour Ministry to put them on hold.

With the implementation of the Codes expected later this year, the CTUs are now likely to meet later this month to work out the agitation strategies.

They had earlier called for a two day nation wide strike on March 28 and 29 this year, against a number of issues, which included the Labour Codes.

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