On 7 January 2025, the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and Sectoral Federations announced a campaign in defence of the rights of workers and peasants which are under attack.
In a press statement, the Joint Platform has pointed out that the Central government is continuing on the course of privatisation of public sector undertakings. It is refusing to restore the Old Pension Scheme.
The trade unions and federations have expressed their resolve to carry out an All India campaign against the moves of the Central government to notify the four anti worker labour codes.
The Labour Codes on Industrial Disputes, Occupational Safety and Social Security, were all passed by parliament in September 2020, on the concluding day of the monsoon session. They were passed without any debate and without heeding the voices of crores of workers who were protesting against these proposed laws all over the country. The Labour Code on Wages had been enacted in 2019. The rules for these laws need to be created by the state governments for implementation. However, faced by opposition from the workers, not all state governments have been able to implement these laws. There is now a fresh push by the central government, since coming to power in June 2024, for all 36 states and Union Territories to notify draft rules by March 2025.
The labour codes make it legitimate for capitalists to violate the rights of workers, including the right to security of employment, safety at the workplace, social security, right to form unions and the right to strike. They have greatly enlarged the scope for contract labour. The very definition of a factory has been changed. They allow the government to exempt any new industrial establishment or class of establishments from their provisions of safety at workplaces in “public interest” of “creating more economic activity and employment”. Exemptions can be made regarding the hours of work, safety standards, retrenchment process, trade union rights, use of contract labour, etc. Women can now be employed in all establishments for all types of work. There is no restriction on night shift work or work regarded as hazardous for women. The Code on Social Security violates the principle that social security is a universal right and not a benefit that can be given at one time and taken away later.
The Labour Codes are aimed at ensuring maximum profits for the Indian and foreign monopoly capitalists, through even more savage exploitation of the workers. Soon after their enactment and before the creation of rules, several state governments have already begun enforcing the working conditions specified in the Codes.
Across the country, working people are increasingly subject to unemployment, heightened insecurity of livelihood, intensified exploitation and unsafe working conditions without any social protection. It is critical that the struggle against the labour codes is intensified.
Implementation of the central labour codes has been blocked due to the united opposition of workers’ unions all over the country. The farm laws were withdrawn because of the militant united opposition of the farmers. The way forward for the workers and peasants is to further strengthen our fighting unity against the capitalist class and all attacks on our rights.
The trade unions and federations have expressed their support to the struggle of farmers and agricultural workers for MSP for all agricultural produce. The unions expressed their commitment to joint action programmes of workers and peasants.
The Central Trade Unions have announced an all India day of protest action on 5 February to condemn the anti worker, anti peasant, anti people course being pursued by the government. This will be followed by an All India campaign against the four labour codes. The Unions have announced that they will organise a General Strike in the event the Central government goes ahead with notifying the rules for the labour codes.
All organisations of workers and peasants should go all out to make the campaign in defence of the rights of workers and peasants a success.