The Central Trade Unions (CTUs), including the Sangh Parivar-led BMS, termed the three Labour Codes passed in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday as unconstitutional. While the ten CTUs owing allegiance to the Opposition hit the streets against the Codes, the BMS will chart its course at a meeting of its leadership scheduled in the first week of October.
BMS General Secretary Virjesh Upadhyay said in a statement that none of the objections raised by his organisation and other trade unions and the recommendations of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour in favour of workers are considered in the revised draft.
“It is tilted too much in favour of the employers and bureaucrats; and the last minute mutilations will adversely affect industrial peace in the country. Some important changes like that on standing orders are not discussed in the consultation process; which will be a violation of ILO convention 144 ratified by the Indian Parliament,” Upadhyay added.
He alleged that there is clear attempt to diminish the role of trade unions.
The leaders of Opposition trade unions said speaking at a protest meeting here that the BJP government was following on the footsteps of the Britishers, using unconstitutional means again to enslave the workers and the farmers to serve the interests of the corporate houses.
CITU general secretary Tapan Sen said the Labour Codes will throw more than 74 per cent of the industrial workers and 70 per cent of industrial establishments in “hire and fire regime” at the will of the employers; even formation of trade union will be extremely difficult; will impose virtual ban on workers’ right to strike and collectively agitate on their grievances and demands to mention a few.
“In all the three Code bills, in respect of many substantive rights and working conditions of the workers, atrocious provisions are stipulated which will open-endedly empower the executive that is the governments to unilaterally alter and change those provisions through executive order obviously at the dictates of their corporate masters,” he said.