NDA amends labour laws to help corporates: CITU

The working class has been denied the right to organise itself and register trade unions in all other States, except Kerala, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) national vice-president A.K. Padmanabhan has alleged.

He told reporters here on Sunday that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government was amending the labour laws in the country to protect the interests of corporate companies. The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Central (Amendment) Rules, 2018, was the latest in the series of anti-labour amendments made by the Narendra Modi government, he alleged.

The amendment enabled the companies to hire workers for short-term assignments and terminate their services when projects were completed. Under the fixed-term employment, employers need not give notice to workers on non-renewal or expiry of contracts, leaving the hapless workers totally insecure, the CITU leader said.

He said even the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh too came out in the open against the Centre’s anti-labour stance. The BMS leaders had openly stated that the government could not bring changes to labour laws without holding consultations with trade unions.

Mr. Padmanabhan alleged that the recent amendment was aimed at destroying job security in the organised sector across the country. The Centre’s policy was privatisation of the public sector and the CITU had launched strong protests against it, he said.

National meet

He said a national convention of trade unions, excluding BMS, would be held in Delhi on May 30 to discuss issues facing the working class in the country and to chalk out the future course of action.

He said the CITU would also organise public awareness campaigns across the country in June-July to expose the Centre’s anti-labour policies.

The State general council meet of the CITU came to close here on Sunday. Mr Padmanabhan inaugurated the valedictory session.