Almost a month after the swearing-in of a Narendra Modi government for the third term, the Union Labour Ministry has started efforts to implement the four Labour Codes, which were passed in Parliament in its second term in 2019 and 2020.
Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Union Labour Secretary Sumita Dawra have started meeting representatives of various trade unions seeking their cooperation to implement the controversial legislation.
Though passed in both Houses, the Codes are not yet operational owing to objections from trade unions. The Centre has been maintaining that some States are yet to frame the Rules for the Codes. Almost all the States have framed the Rules, and the Centre had said it is helping those States which could not draft the Rules to complete the process.
The Central trade unions (CTUs) had opposed the implementation of the Codes citing that they will curtail trade union rights and social security measures for workers. Recently, the Citigroup had said in its employment analysis report on India that implementing the four Labour Codes could improve the “ease of doing business” scenario in the country.
Mr. Mandaviya met the representatives of Sangh Parivar-backed trade union Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) earlier this week, while Ms. Dawra met a delegation of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) on Wednesday. The leaders of both the trade unions told The Hindu that the Minister and the Secretary were keen to implement the four Labour Codes and sought their help.
BMS general secretary Ravindra Himte said in a release that it had demanded early implementation of the Code on Wages and the Code on Social Security. He, however, said the Industrial Relations Code and Occupational Safety and Health Code contain many anti-worker provisions which need to be changed.
Manali Shah, national secretary of SEWA, said the issue came up in the meeting and the Centre is keen to implement it. She, however, said SEWA is opposed to the four codes and the purpose of visit was mainly to raise the lack of social security measures for unorganised and migrant workers.
“The current social security legislation fails to adequately safeguard their rights as State policies and laws concerning social security offer no specific provisions for migrant workers. Both migrant workers crossing State borders and workers employed outside India face similar deprivation of protection under social security laws and schemes,” a memorandum by SEWA said. Ten Central unions, including SEWA, had written to Mr. Mandaviya urging him to meet the trade unions on the issues of workers.