The national president of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) Baji Nath Rai criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre for trying to amend the labour laws without discussion with the trade unions. BMS is a co-organization of the Hindu nationalist organisation, Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Speaking at a conference on labour reforms here on Friday, Mr. Rai said that BMS had urged the Centre not go for a “total reform” of the labour laws. “We have objected to it and asked the Centre not to do so,” he said while speaking in a panel discussion on 'Labour Reforms In India' organised by the Indian Chanber of Commerce (ICC).
The Centre had proposed major reforms in the Factories Act and the Apprentices Act along with other labour laws. The BMS had opposed the proposed reforms in unison with other trade unions including the Communist Party of India (Marxist) affiliated Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU).
Questioning the Centre’s policy of setting up large scale industry to usher in development, Mr. Rai questioned whether it is possible to generate jobs in high-end technology driven industries. He further said that development of small and medium industries had to be prioritised as they generate most jobs. “We have told the Centre that you cannot bring in development only on the basis of investment. Unless you provide employment you cannot develop the country,” said Mr. Rai.
Contractual workers
Mr. Rai claimed that in most of the States including West Bengal the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 was not complied with properly and therefore labour reforms must also include the issue. Expressing his concern about the rise in the numbers of contractual workers, he said that about 60 to 80 percent of the workers are contractually engaged. “If the worker is not ensured that he has a secured job, how can there be development?” asked Mr. Rai.
The National Secretary of CITU Prasanta Nandi Chowdhury also criticised the Centre for trying to amend the labour laws without consultation with the trade unions. He dubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policy of ‘Make in India’ as a “competition of exploitation of labour.”
“Make in India is a programme, using which Mr. Modi had assured investors that if they manufacture in India, they would get the cheapest labour...this will increase worker's exploitation,” said Mr Chowdhury.
Senior leader of the Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress (INTTUC), Sovandeb Chattopadhyay said that that labour laws had to be framed in such way so that the interests of both the employees and employers are protected.
