THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Monday said no state government can refuse to implement labour codes formulated by the Union government. “Since Parliament has passed labour codes, no government can stay away from implementing them. The government will take steps to frame rules in a manner that does not adversely affect workers and will seek the views of all trade unions,” he said, adding that the 29 labour laws in the country were enacted by Congress governments based on the recommendations of the INTUC and that the BJP government introduced the labour codes by altering these laws.
Satheesan attended the state leadership meeting of the trade union in Thiruvananthapuram four years after a disagreement with the union and INTUC president R Chandrasekharan. Chandrasekharan also received the CM with a tricolour shawl on his arrival at the venue.
Clarifying his absence at the INTUC event held in June, the CM said he could not attend due to the busy assembly schedule and said the leadership meeting (held on Monday) was organised as he requested. Chandrasekharan, who presided over the meeting, said that Satheesan is a chief minister who works tirelessly for the state.
Inaugurating the meeting, the CM said that privatisation is not the government’s policy. “Public sector institutions that drain the state exchequer cannot be protected in their existing form. The government will take necessary steps to ensure that institutions like the KSRTC and the Electricity Board can sustain and develop without government assistance. We are also planning to frame rules that do not adversely affect workers,” he said, adding that the suggestions submitted by the INTUC will also be considered during the process.