All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) said Thursday it is strongly opposed to the bulldozing of labour laws through the codification initiated by the NDA government.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Union Cabinet approved the Code on Occupational Safety,Health and Working Conditions Bill which seeks to subsume 13 labour laws. Last week, the Cabinet approved Code on Wages Bill.
Now government intends to push these two bills for passage in the ongoing Parliament session. Under the labour reforms, the government wants to concise 44 labour laws into four broad codes on wages; occupation safety, health and working conditions; industrial relations and social security
"AITUC takes strong objection to the ways of government in pushing the codification of various laws. After the announcement of wage code, now the cabinet has cleared code on OSH," an AITUC statement said.
The union said, "These codes contrary to the claims by the government ... would enhance the process of exclusion of workers from the benefits they accrue from the existing laws."
According to statement, the wage code has denied the agreed formula of wage calculation as per the 15th Indian Labour conference, and add on 25 per cent as directed by a Supreme Court judgement in Raptakos case.
The talk of regional wage on geographical bases is also irrational and the calculation of minimum wage formula, process & procedures are being dismantled to the advantage of employers and the workers would be left in lurch to get justice as the inspections are being given go bye and facilitators are being introduced, it added.
The so called report of the committee set up by the government on minimum wages has brought the calculations much less than what is being provided in Delhi, and it is unacceptable, it pointed out.
Amalgamation of various acts itself reflects on real intentions of the government to put workers in disadvantage and favour to employers, the union alleged.
"In the code on safely (OSH), the cabinet while clearing it decides to make it applicable in the establishments, with ten workers, while clubbing dozens of various laws/norms/available to respective various sectors. 90 per cent of workforce which is from unorganised sector/informal economy sector, outsourced on contract and home based sector would be out of the purview of the code," the union claimed.
There are different work situations, with varied needs of safety equipment, environment, various sector specific ailments needing health needs in accordance to that etc, same shoe cannot be fitted to everyone.
The centralized way of laws are necessary on sectoral bases, as is available at present. The need is to strengthen available laws and go in for more such laws to include all those who are left out. But this instead of inclusion would in one stroke exclude millions of workers from safety protections.
International labour standards are not being adhered to, the violations are rampant and the NDA Government led by BJP is bent upon to further vitiate the environment putting the lives of more than 50 crores into jeopardy, it said.
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