The Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a dharna at NTR Circle, protesting against the amendment that were brought in the labour laws by the State government. The CPI (M) activists burnt the copies of the Amendment Bills.
Addressing the gathering on Wednesday, CPI (M) district secretary R. Raghu said that the government had introduced the amendment bills at the fag end of the Assembly session, accusing it of not giving much scope for discussion in the Assembly and passing the Bill in an undemocratic manner, he said.
“The government has amended labour laws without a second thought. Not less than 80 per cent of the working class will become bonded labourers . The government amended 25K of the Act facilitating the factories to appoint and dismissal of the workers at their will,” he said.
Contract workers stood to lose their rights with the amendments made to the Act. The worker would be deprived of ‘same pay for same work right’. And, the amendment was against the spirit of Supreme Court judgment, he alleged.
By amending the Factories Act, the government changed definition of factory. Premises where 10 or more workers were working with aid of power or 20 workers without aid of power used to be called as factory. Now, it was made the facilities with 20 workers with aid of power and 40 workers without aid of power. So, lakhs of small units would be exempted from the purview of the Act, he said.
CPI(M) secretariat members Y. Kesava Rao, Hatiabu, Y. Narasimha Rao, district committee member RCP Reddy were present.
The govt. has amended labour laws without a second thought. Not less than 80 per cent of the working class will become bonded labourers with this move
R. Raghu,CPI (M) district secretary
