Employer raj worries workers
30 million workers in the small scale sector have no pension or medical facilities
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-10-18 02:36 GMT
Mumbai: Most trade unions and labour experts feel that the workers will be left unprotected under the new changes in the labour laws. They are of the view that the government should have included them as part of the decision making process and have warned of dire consequences. Prof S. Bhowmik, National Fellow, Indian Council of Social Science Research said whilst cutting down the inspector raj, “the government is depending on the goodwill of the employers to implement the minimum wages, timings, paid leave etc. On the face of it, the reforms announced look good but there are a lot of gaping holes in an effort to get investment and boost the “Make in India” programme,” he said.
There are 30 million workers in the small scale sector and there is nothing for them by way of pension or medical facilities like the ESIS in the organised sector, he added.
Vivtek Monteiro, ideologue of the CPI(M)’s trade union wing said the fact that the PM or the PMO bypassed the trade unions shows that “this is the beginning of the weakening of labour rights.”
Since the trade unions were not consulted, they will not accept these changes announced, and the government will face stiff resistance, he warned.Talking on the same wave length, M.A. Patil, leader of the NTUI said this is the most destructive thing that could have happened to the working class “and will turn them into slaves.” There is no redressal mechanism and from inspector raj it will become ‘employers raj’ or ‘contractors raj.’
Referring to some of the good changes like a universal Provident Fund number Sukumar Damle, vice-president, AITUC, said this would really help workers who change jobs and don’t have to worry now about transferring their PF. However he said regarding self –certification by employers that they are following the rules, it was tried by the earlier government but there were few takers because if it was found that they were lying they would be penalised, he said.