National strike unnecessary, politically motivated, says FETO
"The primary demand of the strike is the withdrawal of the four new labour codes. However, the modernisation of outdated labour laws is a longstanding and common demand of the working class," FETO Kerala General Secretary J. Mahadevan said today.
"The Wage Code and the Social Security Code, in particular, are historically significant and highly beneficial to workers. Despite 44 labour laws being consolidated into four codes, the trade unions calling for the strike have not clearly stated which specific provision they oppose," the FETO leader pointed out.
Before these codes were passed in Parliament, the Union Labour Ministry held several rounds of discussions with trade unions and employer organisations at the national, state, and sectoral levels, he clarified.
The FETO state committee noted that the current strike is merely a continuation of an annual ritualistic protest lacking genuine purpose, he said.
When it comes to government employees, the central government has been providing dearness allowance and implementing pay revisions consistently, he added.
"In contrast, the Left government in Kerala, which came to power promising to withdraw the contributory pension scheme, has not fulfilled that promise. Moreover, it has withheld several entitlements such as dearness allowance, leave surrender, and other benefits," he charged.
"The pay revision that was due to be implemented from July 1, 2014, has been delayed by over a year. If the left-aligned service organisations in Kerala are sincere, they should be protesting against the denial of these benefits by the Left government," he said.
FETO also demanded that the administration and the police ensure the safety and travel facilities of employees who choose to reject the strike and report for duty. This was stated in a joint press release by FETO State President A.J. Srini, General Secretary J. Mahadevan, and State Treasurer C.K. Jayaprasad.
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