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The Hindu
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Any move to curtail trade union rights will be opposed: BMS
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat will address workers affiliated to the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) on Wednesday (July 23, 2025) during the concluding ceremony of the 70th anniversary of the Sangh Parivar-led trade union. Talking to reporters in New Delhi on Monday (July 21, 2025) about the event, BMS president Hiranmay Pandya said his organisation was open to work with other trade unions too on the issue of trade union rights in the country. He said that the BMS stood for workers' rights since its formation in 1955. When asked about the opposition to four Labour Codes, Mr. Pandya said the BMS welcomed the Code on Wages and the Code on Social Security. He said the two Codes paved the way for minimum wages and social security for every worker. 'Why should someone oppose it?' he asked. He, however, said the BMS had suggested amendments to the Code of Industrial Relations and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions. When asked about the apprehensions of other 10 central trade unions that the Code on Industrial Relations could curtail trade union rights, Mr. Pandya said the BMS would oppose any such move and added that the union was at the forefront of protests against the present BJP-led regime too. The four Codes, passed in Parliament in 2019 and 2020 in the second term of the Narendra Modi government, have been opposed by various Central Trade Unions. He said the BMS had earlier worked with other unions and was still ready to cooperate with them. 'It is for them to decide if they want to work for the workers' interests rather than function based on political motives,' he said. On privatisation, he said the BMS was of the view that industries in strategic sectors should not be privatised.
The Print
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Mumbai, Kolkata among worst hit by trade unions' Bharat Bandh. What are their demands
The strike especially hit places like Mumbai, Kolkata, Odisha and Bihar, where public‑sector bank branches were shuttered, their staff shouting slogans against privatisation. New Delhi: At least 10 Central Trade Unions across India organised a 24-hour nationwide general strike on July 9, in protest against the central government's alleged anti-labour policies. The 'Bharat Bandh' disrupted key services, including banking, mining, electricity and more, trade union members said. In Kolkata, rail lines were blocked, with dramatic photos showing police removing barricades on roads and even extinguishing small fires lit by protesters. In Odisha, Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) members blocked highways, while in Kerala, shuttered shops and silent streets bore testimony to a near-total shutdown. Despite the strike's scope, a few essential services including hospitals, fire departments, police, and grocery shops were functioning, and many private offices and schools stayed open. The pictures from different protests across states showed volatile moments including scenes of bus drivers wearing helmets in Kolkata and North Bengal for safety; scuffles in West Bengal involving TMC members, and aggressive police lathi‑charges. The trade unions have been alleging that the central government is implementing economic reforms that undermine workers' rights. The 10 unions have been demanding that the government focus on a 17-point charter submitted last year to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, containing urgent demands ranging from scrapping labour reforms to halting privatisation. The trade unions backing the protest include prominent organisations including the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Coordination Centre (TUCC), Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA), Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), and the United Trade Union Congress (UTUC). Also read: Naidu govt approves 10-hr workdays, night shifts for women in bid to attract more industry, investment Protesting against codes passed in 2020 The trade unions participating in the Bharat Bandh have opposed the Labour Codes passed by the government in 2020. These laws include, Code on Wages, Industrial Relations Code, Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code (OSH Code), and Code on Social Security. As per the trade unions, these laws favour the employers and make it easier for them to hire and fire workers, restrict their right to strike by requiring prior permissions, weaken the role of trade unions, and reduce the coverage of key benefits like provident fund, gratuity, and health insurance for contract and gig workers. 'These laws will ruin the workers' rights, including the freedom to make unions, eight-hour work shifts and protesting against employers. We want the laws to be taken back,' Amit Chakraborty, an activist working with the Centre for Struggling Trade Unions (CSTU) told ThePrint. He added that the unions are currently demanding a minimum wage of Rs 26,000 in all sectors, stopping of privatisation of workforce immediately, and fulfilment of gig workers' demands. 'The situation is so bad that protesting while working in private sectors causes job losses immediately. People get fired, which is why many workers could not show up. Yet the response was good today,' he said. Tapan Sen, the president of CITU told ThePrint that at least 500 districts across the country observed the strike. This included rail and road blockades, and resulted in police confrontations and arrests, he said. '95 percent coal mines were shut, 100 percent iron mines and 100 percent manganese ore mines were shut. Moreover, industries across Bangalore, Mysore and Chennai were closed. Also, the cement sector observed the strike,' he told ThePrint, adding that public sectors including banks, insurance companies across the country were completely shut. 'Over 25 crore workers have gone on strike. This includes workers across different places like West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Karnataka and more,' he said. Similarly, Sourya Majumder, who is associated with a student-youth movement, said that unemployment is at a 'historic high' in India right now. He said that the four labour codes 'threaten' the future of India's youth, promising more insecure employment in the form of contractual work in jobs of a permanent nature. 'We have recently seen struggles of jobless youth across the country and the general strike called by the Central Trade Unions today is an important step for the working class to organise against this assault by the RSS-BJP regime on behalf of major multinational corporations,' he said. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: Even as Centre dithers on notifying labour codes, most states amend labour laws to attract investments
The Print
09-07-2025
- Business
- The Print
Even as Centre dithers on notifying labour codes, most states amend labour laws to attract investments
Meanwhile, documents made available by the Union Labour Ministry, show that many states and UTs have gone ahead and amended several of their archaic laws to align them with the labour codes. For instance, so far 32 states and UTs including Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh, among others, have amended the Factories Act,1948, to enable women to work night shifts. The Parliament had passed the codes that consolidated the 29 central labour laws between 2019 and 2020. These included the Code on Wages; Code on Industrial Relations; Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions; and Code on Social Security. However, 5 years down the line, the Centre is yet to notify the rules, without which the codes cannot become operational. New Delhi: From allowing women to work night shifts to empowering companies with up to 300 employees to hire and fire without government approval, states across India, including non-BJP ones, have amended their labour laws to attract investment and boost economic activity, even as the Centre continues to dither on notifying four labour codes. Even the non-NDA ruled states, including Punjab, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Mizoram, Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Karnataka have eased their law to allow women to work night shifts. In the remaining states and UT, the amendment is under consideration, labour ministry sources said. In the labour codes passed by the Centre, the Factories Act was subsumed in the Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Condition. Twelve states have amended the Factories Act to extend work shifts to 12 hours per day. These states have also increased the quarterly overtime hours limit from 75 hours to up to 125 hours. Opposition ruled states, such as Karnataka, Himachal and Punjab, overtime hours have been extended to 144 hours. In several other states and UTs, including Jammu and Kashmir, Telangana, Jharkhand and Meghalaya, the amendments are under consideration, labour ministry documents show. Also read: Naidu govt approves 10-hr workdays, night shifts for women in bid to attract more industry, investment 19 states amended law allowing companies to hire and fire Some 19 states and UTs have also amended the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, allowing companies employing up to 300 workers to hire and fire without needing government approval. Earlier, it was compulsory for firms employing up to 100 workers to frame standing orders for its workforce. Standing orders are the rules of conduct for workmen employed in industrial establishments. The Industrial Disputes Act was subsumed in the Code on Industrial Relations. Nineteen states and Union Territories have amended the Factories Act to raise the worker threshold that defines a factory for the law's applicability. While for factories using power, a majority of the states and UTs have increased the threshold from 10 to 20 or more workers, for factories not using power, the threshold has been increased from 20 to 40 or more workers. Another significant amendment that states and UTs have made in their respective laws relate to fixed term employment. Some 25 states and UTs have now allowed fixed term employment, providing employers the flexibility to hire workers for a specified period, as per requirement. Besides, 21 states and four UTs have amended their state specific laws allowing for compounding (settling) of offences, which were not punishable with imprisonment or imprisonment and fine. The four labour codes allow compounding for a sum of 50 percent of the maximum fine provided for the offence. Besides, 17 states and two UTs have also amended the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970, to make it applicable to establishments and contractors employing 50 or more workers from the earlier 20 workers. Sources in the ministry said that states have gone ahead and amended their archaic labour laws on their own to become more competitive and investor friendly. 'States have realised that if they do not reform their labour laws, they will lose out on business. Companies will go and set up their business in states where the compliance norms are not cumbersome and there is ease of doing business,' one of the sources said. The source, however, did not give a clear timeframe about when the Centre will notify the codes. There has been a lot of push back from trade unions to roll back several provisions in the labour codes. Government sources said that this is one of the key reasons behind the Centre's tardiness in not notifying the codes. The ministry, on its part, has been blaming the states for not finalising the draft rules. Since labour is part of the concurrent list and both states and the Centre have to notify the rules under their respective jurisdiction. Without the notification of rules, the codes cannot become operational. A government source said, this lessens the criticism on the Centre for delay in notifying the labour codes. (Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri) Also read: Labour Secretary chairs 16th meeting of Building and Other Construction Workers monitoring committee
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Bharat Bandh: No impact on industrial production in Mysuru
The nation-wide general strike called by the Join Committee of Trade Unions (JCTU) on July 9 had limited impact on normal life in the city and the industrial area in Mysuru. Bharat Bandh live updates - July 09, 2025 The objective of the strike was to draw attention to the 'anti-worker' policies of the State and the Central Government. One of the key demands put forward by the trade unions was abrogation of the four labour codes formulated by the Centre. The 4 Labour Codes Code on Wages, 2019 Industrial Relations Code, 2020 Code on Social Security, 2020 Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 The codes have been opposed by trade unions on the ground that they are inimical to their collective interest. The trade unions have argued that the existing labour laws evolved out of decades of struggle while the labour codes formulated by the Centre have left the workers with no safeguards in addition to curtailing their bargaining powers. In Mysuru, leaders of various trade unions and scores of activists from AIUTUC, CITU, and AIKMS, marched along the main thoroughfares of the city raising slogans against the government in Karnataka and at the Centre. Jagadish Surya of CPI (M) said the objective of the strike was to send a strong message to the government and to States where the trade union organisations are powerful, and the impact has been strong. Both the Centre and the State came under flak for weakening workers' rights under the guise of 'ease of doing business'. The agitating trade union organisations sought minimum wages at the rate of ₹36,000 per month, an end to outsourcing labour, hiring workers on contract basis, as trainees and apprentices. The government was urged to sanction pension at the rate of ₹9,000 per month for people employed in the unorganized sector as they had no job or social security. A few of the demands relate to farmers and agriculture. Trade unions want the government of Karnataka to rescind amendments to various laws that had a bearing on agriculture and farming, such as Electricity Amendment Bill, 2022, which, the workers argue, is an attempt to pave the way for privatisation of the power sector. The government was urged to comply with other demands of farmers, including minimum support price for agricultural produce based on the formula — comprehensive cost of production + 50% — proposed by M.S. Swaminathan Commission, withdrawal of amendments to a few laws, which have a bearing on agriculture, such as the Land Reforms Amendment Act, and APMC Amendment Act, by the government of Karnataka. Lingaraju, president, Mysuru Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), said the general strike did not have any impact on industrial production, as only the leaders and office-bearers took part.
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Business Standard
08-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Nationwide strike on July 9: Ten trade unions protest labour codes
Ten of the country's 12 central trade unions have called for a nationwide strike on Wednesday to protest the government's failure to conduct the Indian Labour Conference for the last ten years and its continued decisions against the interests of the country's labour force. The unions have particularly criticised the 'attempts to impose' four labour codes with the aim of weakening the collective bargaining power of trade unions. The unions have said that an estimated 300 to 400 million workers are expected to join the strike, supporting the 17-point charter of demands, which opposes the Union government's policies. The ten trade unions, including the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha, and Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), have announced that their preparations for the strike, likely to be one of the biggest in recent years, are on course. However, the government holds that it is ready to discuss all provisions if unions offer 'constructive feedback,' rather than engaging in consultations with a zero-sum game approach. 'If we talk about labour codes, a majority of states have already made amendments in their laws, aligning them with the spirit of the Centre's codes. It's not just the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-governed states. Many opposition-ruled states have also made these changes, indicating their recognition of the importance of investments, especially in the manufacturing sector,' official sources told Business Standard. In a statement issued on the eve of the strike on Tuesday, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), the largest trade union in the country, announced it would not participate in the strike, alleging the action was politically inspired. Of the four labour codes, the BMS welcomed the Code on Wages, 2019, and the Code on Social Security, 2020, noting that the latter provided for the social security of platform and gig workers for the first time. However, the BMS said it had consulted with stakeholders and suggested amendments to the other two labour codes — the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 — submitting its suggestions to the government. 'In recent days, the government has discussed the amendments with owners and trade unions, but that is insufficient. The government needs to address the issue of amending these codes with more seriousness,' BMS General Secretary Ravindra Himte said, adding that other trade unions were misleading workers, and the strike was 'purely politically inspired.' In addition to the BMS, the National Front of Indian Trade Unions (NFITU) also announced it would not participate in the strike. In a joint statement, the ten trade unions stated that the government's economic policies were resulting in increased unemployment, rising prices of essential commodities, stagnant wages, and cuts in social sector spending, contributing to growing inequality. 'This strike call opposes the anti-worker, anti-farmer, and anti-national pro-corporate policies of the government,' the unions said. They have been fighting against the privatisation of public sector enterprises, outsourcing by government departments and public sector enterprises (PSEs), and the pro-employer four labour codes, which they argue aim to suppress trade union movements, erode the right to collective bargaining, and decriminalise violations of labour laws by employers while criminalising trade union activities. The unions have demanded that the government address unemployment, recruit in sanctioned posts, create more jobs, increase workdays and remuneration under the rural employment guarantee scheme, and introduce a similar scheme for urban areas. 'Instead, the government is focused on imposing the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme to incentivise employers,' the unions said. Workers in sectors including mining, insurance, power, postal, telecom, public transport, defence, and railways will strike on July 9, while unions in construction, beedi, Anganwadi, ASHA, mid-day meal workers, domestic workers, hawkers, and vendors will participate in mass mobilisation actions. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha and a joint front of agricultural workers' unions have extended support to the strike. 'We don't see any impact from the proposed strike. It is politically motivated, and the people behind it have been discredited. In fact, we have received support from over 200 worker unions across the country, many of which are affiliated with central unions like AITUC and INTUC, demonstrating that their own house is not in order,' official sources added. Trade unions had previously observed similar nationwide strikes in November 2020, March 2022, and February 16 last year. In a related development, Kerala Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar said state-run Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses would continue operating on Wednesday, despite central trade unions calling for a nationwide strike. The KSRTC had not received any formal notice from trade unions about their participation in the strike. "As far as KSRTC is concerned, employees are happy and content. The unions have not issued any notice. KSRTC buses will run as usual," he added.
