New Delhi: Addressing a press conference, Congress MP and General Secretary Mallikarjun Kharge, said the Modi Government has aggressively pushed its agenda of bringing reforms in labour laws by claiming that it would improve the business environment and augment employment in the country.
"Bills were passed in the Parliament when Opposition was not even present in the house. These are all fake claims," Kharge said.
Alleging that the Union Government has brought these bills for the "convenience" of industrialists, Kharge added, "Instead of implementing the suggestions given by the standing committee on labour, this Government has included its own interests in these bills."
The three labour codes passed in Parliament centre around industrial relations, occupational safety, health and working conditions and social security. The fourth labour code on wages was passed last year in August.
Labour laws enacted in the country were prepared in consultation with the stakeholders. However, the current Union Government did not consult any of the trade unions or State governments before drafting these new codes.
"Not even a single meeting of Indian Labour Conference, which is the highest tripartite labour policy decision-making body, was organized in the past five years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is behaving like an enemy of the working class," said G Sanjeeva Reddy, President of Indian National Trade Union Congress.
He also assured that the trade unions will continue to protest against these bills and will also urge the like-minded parties to raise their voice against these "unjust" labour codes.
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The three labour codes will now remove impediments to winding up of companies and also allow to terminate staff without any permission from the Government.
The former Union Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge called these bills as "anti-labour" and alleged that these legislations have even "weakened" trade unions, removing "safety-net" for workers.
"This Government has pushed the labourers into such a crisis that they are not even raising their voices against these bills. They have weakened the trade unions. State powers have been usurped. These codes are anti-worker, anti-labourer and it is important to protest against it," he said.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, who was also present in the press conference, said, "They made the excuse of bringing these laws saying that they will improve the ease of doing business. But it is clear that there is no protection and relief for workers under these laws." "It is in the DNA of this Government to set aside democratic principles and force its decisions on people," he further added.
The Union Minister Santosh Gangwar had said in Rajya Sabha, while replying to the debate, that the purpose of these labour reforms is to provide a "transparent system" to suit the "changed" business environment.
