Labour codes threaten workers’ welfare, TN govt must adopt spl resolution against it: Activists
The four labour codes – wages, industrial relations, social security, and occupational safety, health and working conditions – have an egregious and irreversible impact on the workforce in the unorganised sectors, stakeholders allege.
CHENNAI: A day after Labour Minister CV Ganesan informed the House that the four labour codes would have no impact on the welfare schemes, stakeholders contradicted the minister’s statement, asserting that the codes are “anti-labour” in nature and would undermine the welfare schemes carried out by the boards. They added that the government has failed to look into the larger picture behind these contentious codes.
The four labour codes – wages, industrial relations, social security, and occupational safety, health and working conditions – have an egregious and irreversible impact on the workforce in the unorganised sectors, stakeholders allege. Labour activists, trade unions, and workers have expressed their concern that these pro-corporate codes would strip workers of their rights by nullifying over 30 Central and state laws.
Labour activists have been protesting their implementation, particularly the OSH code, which contains contentious provisions such as legalising women’s night work—a practice that has not been permitted until now. The code also reduces the list of occupational diseases to 29 from 107, allows for 12-hour working instead of 8 hours, abolishes overtime, and curtails the power of law enforcement agencies to conduct physical inspections of premises.
CITU state president overtly expressed his disappointment with the DMK government’s approach to the labour codes, stating, “We expected this government to take a firm stand against the pro-corporate labour codes, but they have remained silent. This silence is a sign of endorsement for the codes.” He also criticised the minister’s response regarding the labour codes in the Assembly, which he felt was limited to the welfare board and failed to address the broader implications.
VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan, who was at the Secretariat on Wednesday to participate in the all-party meeting on the NEET issue, flagged the issue and appealed to Chief Minister MK Stalin to pass a resolution in the Assembly on this.
The OSH code would remove the BOCW Act, which includes 200 safety clauses for construction workers. “If the existing safety clauses cease to exist, the workers will lose their social security, and this could threaten the dissolution of existing welfare boards in the state,” said R Geetha of the Unorganised Welfare Federation.
She questioned on what grounds the minister could guarantee that the labour codes would pose no risk to the welfare boards and that they would continue to operate for the benefit of unorganised workers. “The government has to safeguard the interests of over 50 lakh registered members of the 38 welfare boards in the State. We have submitted multiple petitions regarding this,” she said.
