INTUC chairman writes to ILO on labour laws

HYDERABAD: In a joint letter to the Director General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Dr G. Sanjeeva Reddy, chairman of the Central Trade Unions Coordination Committee of India, drew attention to the anti-worker provisions in the country's newly-promulgated four labour laws.

Dr Sanjeeva Reddy, who is also president of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (Intic), asked for the addition of the Indian government’s violations of workers’ rights to be added to the agenda of the ongoing 111th International Labour Conference in Geneva.

“Intuc firmly stands with its state branches and affiliates and federations and supports their demand that the ILC discuss the Indian government's attack on workers' rights. Governments have the responsibility to include union voices when making decisions about labour-related issues. The tripartite mechanism cannot be disregarded,” said Dr Sanjeeva Reddy.

Under the new labour code, the term ‘factory’ excludes employers with less than 20 workers from any liability, the daily working hours have gone from eight to 12, with Maharashtra and Karnataka already in the process of implementing it.

Employers with less than 300 workers in their factories no longer need permission from government authorities for layoff or closure. Unions fear that the introduction of ‘fixed term employment’ in the new law will increase precarious work. The changed law also fails to ensure social security for all workers.