Kerala Government and Unions Stand Against Labour Codes
In a significant political development, a unified meeting of trade unions, convened under the auspices of the Kerala Labour Department, has unanimously passed a resolution urging the central government to withdraw its four contentious labour codes. The resolution, passed on Thursday, strongly criticizes the codes as anti-worker and claims they were drafted unilaterally without sufficient discussion.
Unanimous Opposition and a Silent BMS
Kerala's Labour Minister, V Sivankutty, a senior CPI(M) leader, addressed the media after the meeting. He confirmed that the resolution explicitly states the codes should be withdrawn as they are anti-worker and drafted unilaterally without adequate deliberation. He firmly declared that Kerala will not implement the codes, despite the state labour secretary having framed the requisite rules back in 2021 following a directive from the Centre.
An interesting point of note was the presence of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) state president Unnikrishnan Unnithan at the meeting. Minister Sivankutty pointed out that the BMS was silent during the proceedings. This silence stands in stark contrast to the stance of the BMS's national leadership; its general secretary, Ravindra Himte, had publicly welcomed the implementation of the labour codes on November 21.
Kerala's Next Steps: A National Labour Conclave
Outlining the state's future course of action, Sivankutty announced that Kerala will host a major labour conclave on December 19. The one-day event aims to bring together ministers from other states that also oppose the labour codes. The conclave will delve into the potential impact of these codes on workers' lives and explore the possibility of states framing their own labour regulations.
The minister also sought to clarify the controversy surrounding the state's 2021 draft notification of the labour code rules. He explained that this was done after the Centre directed state labour secretaries to frame the rules. The draft was published for public debate, and a workshop with trade unions was held in July 2022. Sivankutty emphatically stated, So far, no action has been taken on it. The draft will remain as a draft. He highlighted that the state's inaction over the past three years is a clear indicator of its firm opposition.
Furthermore, Sivankutty revealed that he had already communicated Kerala's strong objections to the Union Labour Minister during a recent conference of labour ministers held in Delhi, reinforcing the state's unwavering position against what it perceives as regressive provisions in the new labour laws.
