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Even as India declared in the ongoing 104th conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva that any changes to labour laws will only be made after “threadbare” discussions in appropriate tripartite forums, trade unions have reacted negatively to a recent government notification on ‘flexible’ hiring, accusing the government of “bypassing” them.
On April 29, the Ministry issued a notification publishing draft rules proposed by the Central Government to amend the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Central Rules, 1946, inviting suggestions/objections within 45 days.
While employers are backing the proposal to allow factories to hire “fixed-term” workers for short-term projects, trade unions are opposing such a move, fearing that it may make it easier for companies to hire and fire.
Need for change While reiterating the need for changes in labour laws, Shankar Agarwal, Labour Secretary, said in Geneva that “review and updating of labour laws is a continuous process to bring them in tune with the emerging needs of a globalised and knowledge-based economy”.
He said India is a signatory to ILO conventions on labour inspection as well as tripartite consultation, adding that “all the proposed amendments to labour laws are being discussed threadbare in appropriate tripartite forums involving government, employers’ organisations and workers’ organisations, and only thereafter, amendments are carried forward.”
Meanwhile, in a letter to Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) General Secretary Tapan Sen said that the copy of the said notification has not been sent to the central trade unions in a deviation from the “usual practice”.
“It is really shocking because the Ministry could silently issue the said notification without consulting the central trade unions… and (it) will have a serious bearing on the working conditions and job security of industrial workers,” said Sen, urging its withdrawal “in the interests of fairness and propriety.”
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