Describing the Odisha Industrial Security Forces Bill, 2012, as draconian, the State CPM on Wednesday called upon all democratic forces to oppose the new law.
“The Odisha Industrial Security Forces Bill, 2012, which was passed in the monsoon session of the Assembly was intended to provide security to private capitalists and big industrial houses and suppress the democratic rights of the working people,” State CPM secretary Janardan Pati told a media conference here.
In the name of law and order, the new law will be a tool in the hands of private industries to drastically curtail the democratic rights of the working class, Pati said and called upon all democratic forces to oppose such a draconian law.
The industrial security force to be headed by an officer of the rank of Inspector-General of Police will be deployed on request from the management of industries and other vital installations in the private sector on payment. Once deployed, the force will be under the administrative control of industrial undertaking, the Bill said.
Pati apprehended that the private industries will use force against their workers if they go for agitation to fight for their rightful demands and other democratic rights. The Bill said the new law will provide immunity to the members of the force for the acts during discharge of duty under the rules to be framed under the new law. No court shall take cognisance of an offence against any member of the force without prior sanction of the State Government and this is not acceptable to the working class, he said.
While the State Government claimed to have enhanced the minimum wage for agricultural workers to ` 150, in reality a worker will get ` 128.57 per day as there will be no pay on Sunday.
As per the Labour Act, a worker is entitled to a day off and that should be a paid holiday. He urged the State Government to clear its stand on the issue. Rejecting the revised minimum wage announced by the Government, the CPM leader said his party would fight till its demand for a minimum wage of ` 334 a day was accepted.
Opposing the proposed disinvestment in national PSUs, including Nalco, Pati said his party will launch a movement to force the government to implement universal public distribution system.