CPI (M) floor leader in Rajya Sabha Elamaram Kareem has introduced a Private Member Bill in the Upper House to repeal the four labour codes. Titled as the Labour Codes (Repeal) Bill, it seeks to repeal the Code on Wages, Industrial Relations Code, Code on Social Security and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code.
Kareem said widespread protests against these codes are going on in India. “The provisions of the labour codes take away most of the statutory protections for workers and they dilute workers’ social security and welfare schemes. Trade unions across the country are in a united struggle against this. Labour codes, which eliminate all possibility of collective bargaining by workers, are designed solely to protect the interests of employers and corporates. The duty of the government is to strengthen the existing labour laws and make them more pro-labour. The aim of my Bill is to strengthen the nationwide agitation against the labour codes,” he said.
Advantage to employers
Kareem said in his statement of objects and reasons of the Bill that the Code on Wages incorporates provisions of certain Acts selectively to the sole advantage of the employers.
“Minimum wages can be an effective tool for addressing poverty and inequality. In India there are a number of issues and concerns with regard to the setting and implementation of minimum wages. However, well tested mechanism/ formula that have been evolved over years, which also got consensus of all stakeholders, could be put in place to address these concerns and ensure that minimum wages have a substantial and beneficial impact on subsistence wage and low-paid workers,’ he added.
Impediment to unions
The Industrial Relations Code, he said, will lead to the “hire and fire” regime at the will of employers. “Formation of trade unions will become more difficult and virtually impossible through imposition of numerous restrictive conditionalities stipulated in this code. It intends to make the right to collective trade union actions including right to strike virtually banned through number of conditionalities,” he added.
Kareem said in the name of extending social security to unorganised sector workers, the Social Securities Code further dilutes and curb whatever social security benefits being available to a section of workers of the organised sector. “It gives relief to the employers in respect of their obligation towards social security contribution for the workers employed by them,” he added.