THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The one-day Labour Conclave, being convened to suggest changes towards the nationally implemented labour code, will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on December 19, at Hotel Lemon Tree here.
Labour Minister V Sivankutty will preside over the event which is aimed at identifying the issues with the labour code in regard to Kerala’s labour market and how changes can be implemented to resolve them. The conclave will be attended by Finance Minister K N Balagopal, Law Minister P Rajeeve, national level trade union leaders, scholars, law experts, and academicians from across the country.
Organised by the state government in association with the Kerala Institute of Labour and Employment (KILE), the conclave will have multi-faceted discussions regarding the state-specific aspect of the law.
Top officials from the labour department have said that the suggestions and concerns put forward by the stakeholders will be consolidated and sent to the Union government and the President within a week or two of the conclave. “We will be discussing how certain elements in the labour code are not suitable for our state,” a senior official said.
The sources from the labour department said all key trade unions have been invited to participate in the conclave. Ministers from non-BJP ruled states have also been invited to the event. Two sessions – the implications of labour codes within the context of the state’s labour market and alternative strategies to address the adverse impact of the codes – will be held at the conclave.
The officials have also said that the people involved in drafting the codes are also likely to take part in the event to provide more insights.
Earlier, Minister Sivankutty had said that the state will not implement the labour codes, after a meeting with the representatives of various trade union leaders.