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RSS-affiliated trade union Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) may approach courts against the ordinances introduced by the Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat governments to suspend labour laws for specific time periods.
The BMS has also announced nationwide protests against the ordinances. Additionally, it is putting pressure on the party’s Central leadership to direct the BJP governments in the three States to withdraw the amendments. The union fears that more States may follow the ordinance route to amend labour laws.
BMS organisation secretary Pawan Kumar told BusinessLine that the organisation’s legal team is mulling options. “Our legal team...will take a decision on whether to go to the Supreme Court or the respective State high courts,” he said. There are pros and cons in taking a legal step and a final decision will be taken soon by the legal team, he added. “Our priority is fighting these ordinances on the streets,” he further said.
Move is ‘rare and unheard of’
Meanwhile, a meeting of the national office bearers of the BMS strongly condemned the total withdrawal of labour laws in UP, M.P. and Gujarat. Criticising the freezing of labour laws as well as increase in working hours from eight to 12 hours in some other States, BMS general secretary Virjesh Upadhyay said in a statement after the meeting: “It is learnt that many other States are readying to follow the trend. This is unheard of in history and is rare even in most undemocratic countries.”
“BMS State units have written to the State Chief Ministers but only the CM of M.P. has shown the courtesy to meet the BMS delegation,” he added.
The issues of migrant workers have become aggravated mainly because there is gross violation of the Migrant Labour Act by most States, said Upadhyay. “Hence we are pushed to the wall and there is no other way out except going for agitations,” he said. He added that on May 20, the organisation will hold nationwide demonstrations at taluk and district centres and industrial estates even while maintaining social distancing.
The agitations will be against the freezing labour laws and increase in working hours in various States, on migrant workers’ issues, payment of wages and job losses.
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