The central government is going to take an important decision soon regarding changes in labor laws. In May, the central government gave the powers to the states that they can change the labor laws according to their circumstances and resources. They will not need any modification for this.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labor Affairs has also suggested changes in labor laws. According to the committee, the Central Government should not make a hasty decision in the matter of industrial relations code. States should not be permanently given the right to arbitrarily change labor laws. The committee further said that it is not in the interest of the workers. It is unfair to give such rights to the states.
Former Congress Party national president Rahul Gandhi also targeted the government in this matter. According to government sources, the Ministry of Labor may soon issue a cabinet note in this matter and the Industrial Relations Code is also included in the approval to be taken through it.
Explain that during May, when the country was under lockdown due to Corona, the Central Government relaxed the labor laws. Taking advantage of this, many states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat have rapidly changed their labor laws. done.
Many provisions of labor laws in Uttar Pradesh were abolished for three years. The biggest reason behind not accepting the report of the Parliamentary Committee is that most of the BJP ruled states had changed the labor laws according to their own and implemented the new system.
These changes were opposed by labor organizations and opposition parties, saying that this would affect the interests of workers. Rahul Gandhi had said that changes in labor law cannot be an excuse to exploit workers and suppress their voices.
He said that there can be no compromise on the fundamental principles. After the change in labor laws, the right of the workers to get the minimum wage ends. The absence of basic safety and welfare standards for workers persists and this leads to the end of the Industrial Dispute Act.
Workers also do not get the rights like forming a union for their demands. After changes in labor laws, in some states, 12 hours of daily labor was fixed for workers. However, this decision was later reversed by court intervention. Madhya Pradesh government also changed the labor laws. The MP exempted 11 types of industries from the Madhya Pradesh Industrial Relations Act 1961. Not only this, under the Industrial Disputes Act, 2000, but the industry has also been exempted from several provisions for the next 1,000 days. There were also many such provisions that were not in favor of the worker.
It was no longer necessary to seek government approval to suspend a worker. According to an official of the Union Ministry of Labor, now the government will not back down in this matter. All preparations have been made to make the new laws permanent. In this case, now the cabinet note can be issued anytime. Labor codes included in this include industrial relations and occupational safety.
The Labor Ministry has already sent a revised draft to the Law Ministry regarding these. Now the government is considering some new changes including things like permanent, temporary, short term, and long term employment. BJD MP Bhartrihari is presiding over the suggestion of the Standing Committee in the matter of the Industrial Relations Code, which has been rejected by the Central Government. He submitted his report on The Industrial Relations Code, 2019 under Rule 280 to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.