NEW DELHI: Services across the country are likely to be partially affected, as ten major trade unions, led by the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), have announced a nationwide general strike for Wednesday. The strike is being held to protest against four labour codes, among other issues.
AITUC general secretary Amarjeet Kaur told this newspaper, “We expect nearly 25 crore people to take part across sectors and states. Workers from banks, insurance companies, coal and steel industries, farm, beedi manufacting, electricity board, petroleum sectors, and Anganwadi centres are among those participating. Rail Rokos will also be staged across the country.” The protests take place at different across the sectors.
Kaur stated that a list of 17 demands was submitted to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya after he assumed office, but none of them have been met, she alleged. “The annual labour conference has not been held for last 10 years,” she said.
Criticising the four Labour codes proposed by the government, Kaur described them as “a negation of the labour rights won after 150 years of struggle with the British Raj. They negate our right to strike, make union registration problematic, derecognition of unions easy, and create a cumbersome adjudication process.”
The overriding powers given to registrars to de-register unions, the definition of ‘wage’ being changed, and the schedule of occupations for minimum wage applicability being abolished are other aspects that the unions objected to, she added. “The changes in the Factory Act would throw out a substantial number of workers from labour protection,” Kaur said.
“The recruitment of sanctioned posts was not being done, and instead, there is a ban on the creation of new posts, which would cause rising unemployment,” the General Secretary added.
Meanwhile, as many as 213 unions have declared that they will not participate in the strike, a Labour Ministry official said.
Minimum wage applicability
The overriding powers given to registrars to de-register unions, the definition of ‘wage’ being changed, and the schedule of occupations for minimum wage applicability being abolished are other aspects that the unions objected to, she added.