The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has barred the Congress-affiliated trade union, Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), from participating in any tripartite meetings, be it labour law reforms or routine wage negotiations on both national and international platforms.
A Labour Ministry order, approved by Labour and Employment Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, has cited an intra-union legal battle over INTUC’s leadership for its debarment.
“This Ministry has decided with the approval of Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour and Employment not to give representation to INTUC in meetings convened by Ministry of Labour and Employment and nominations to various tripartite bodies including international for a, till finalisation of the pending court cases among the factions of INTUC,” according to the order dated January 4.
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The order with subject ‘Dispute between different factions of INTUC – Decision of Ministry of Labour and Employment’ was marked to G. Sanjeeva Reddy (first elected as INTUC president in 1994), former Jharkhand Minister Chandra Shekhar Dubey and INTUC leader K.K. Tiwari – all of who claim to be leading the 70-year old trade union affiliated to the Congress party.
Following the Labour Ministry order, INTUC was not invited for a meeting chaired by the Labour and Employment Minister on February 14 with all central trade unions to discuss proposed amendments to the Factories Act, 1948.
The trade union can no longer participate in meetings convened by the Labour Ministry and other standing committee meetings related to negotiation of labourers’ working conditions in all sectors, including wage negotiation.
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Mr. Reddy, who has moved the Delhi High Court challenging the Labour Ministry order, has alleged that this is a conspiracy to not just divide its members but also a dent an ongoing verification exercise for trade unions’ membership.
“We have claimed a membership of 3.33 crore workers – the highest among all other central trade unions – and the verification drive is going on. We feel this order is intended to prevent INTUC, with highest membership, from participating in espousing cause of the workmen in favour of some vested interest,” Mr. Reddy told The Hindu.
The Central Labour Commissioner, under the Labour Ministry, conducts verification drive of membership of trade unions to determine their representation in various national and international councils.
Last year, the faction led by Mr. Dubey had moved the Delhi High Court challenging the nomination of leaders from Mr. Reddy’s group in the wage negotiation panel for coal workers, known as Joint Bipartite Committee for Coal Industry (JBCCI).
INTUC was barred from participating in the wage negotiation in coal industry due to dispute between the two factions which has been unresolved since 2011. The Delhi High Court said that INTUC members would not be allowed to participate in the JBCCI till the court case is disposed.
“However, the High Court order pertained only to the coal industry. There is no blanket stay by any court related to other tripartite bodies, including the ILO. How can the Labour Ministry issue order suo motu without consulting us? This is violation of the Trade Union Act,” Mr. Reddy said.
“We have also claimed membership of around 3.3 crore workers with the Central Labour Commissioner recently. I have defeated Mr. Reddy to the post of CITU president in three elections held in the past. The court will take a call on who heads the INTUC,” Mr. Dubey said. Mr. Tiwari could not be contacted for comments.
The Delhi High Court is set to hear the petition filed by Mr. Reddy on March 23.
All the Central trade unions, except RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding withdrawal of the Labour Ministry order. “The order of the Labour Ministry is totally arbitrary, authoritarian and vindicate and is nothing but politically motivated,” the Central trade unions said in a joint letter to the Prime Minister on January 13.