State's trade unions protest labour codes
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, December 02 2022:
As part of the nationwide protest being launched by trade unions of the country against the Central government's labour policy, members of trade unions of Manipur on Friday staged a sit-in-protest, demanding revocation of the four labour codes enacted by the Government of India.
The protest staged in front of BSNL Imphal head office, here, was jointly organised by Coordinating Body of Trade Union Manipur, AITUC, CITU, INTUC, UTUC, TUCC, Postal Union, AGSF, Bank and AUAB.
Addressing the protestors, CITU secretary Ksh Shanta said that the Central government's labour policy is against the interest of the labourers and demanded immediate revocation of the four labour codes formulated by the government after clubbing together various labour laws.
He said that four labour codes namely code of wages, industrial relation code, social security code and occupational safety, health & working condition code will replace 29 labour laws of the country.
Despite being in the Concurrent List, labour rules are to be framed by both the Centre and states.
Even though the Centre notified labour codes in September, 2020, none of the states of the country notified requisite rules for the new codes.
However, 12 states have so far published draft rules, he noted, adding that the codes will have to be implemented after all the states of the country have requisite rules.
AITUC general secretary L Sotinkumar also addressed the protestors and said that handing over of BSNL, airlines, airport, railways, CAUs and other public sector undertakings to individuals as per Government of India's new liberal and privatisation policy was wrong.
Such a step aimed at making the rich get wealthier would only affect the common people and also create huge gap between the rich and poor, he said.
Apex body of BSNL employees - IUAB leader Ksh Saheb also spoke at the protest and pressed upon the government to begin 4G Spectrum in BSNL and give third pay revision salary to BSNL employees.
At the end of the protest, several slogans against labour policies formulated by the Central government were raised.