LABOUR VS
INVESTORS IN LOCKDOWN DAYS
LABOUR LAWS AND LOCKDOWN:
As
India attempts to lift its nationwide lockdown under the compulsion to revive the economy, which is in the worst state various state
government have started race to dilute labour rights one after the the other in
a bid to attract
the FDI.
Uttar Pradesh took
the lead in suspending crucial labour laws. It has suspended all labour laws except three, related to, bonded labour, timely
wage payments and ex-gratia to workers in case of work related diseases and
disabilities.
AGENDA BEHIND SUSPENSION
U.P.
ordinance exempts employers from complying with the industrial disputes act 1947. Therefore, workers can be hired and
fired at will. It will lead to nothing but the instability and fear of losing
the work among the workers.
Shockingly, it also exempts
employees from complying with the minimum wages act 1948.
Also,
when this is
coupled with the extension in working hours from 8 to 12 hrs,it will lead to the
exploitation of workers. because now, they will have to work for more hours at exploiting wages.
Now
check M.P. ordinance which exempts factories employing less then 50 workers from
regular
inspections
and allowed a third party inspection, means , this ordinance has snatched away
the power of inspectors to conduct
surprise checks. In turn, it strengthens the employers to torture and exploit
the workers as they wish, as no one is these to check them.
It
appears
that state government are projecting
themselves to be in investors friendly.
Also,
as if novel coronavirus pandemic simply has provided a window to
aggressively fulfil their long term agenda of diluting the labour rights. This becomes evident from the length of suspending the laws which
varies
from 1000 days M.P. to three years in U.P.
HOW UNDEMOCRATIC THE MANNER IS:
If rights are like gaurantees, they
are of no use if there is no one to
honour them. Now it is the job of the pressure group, self- interest groups and opposition to put the
pressure on governments for this to be done, the above mentioned group have to organise the protest and strikes.
But
timing is ironical because the lockdown amid the laws and orders situation protest can not be
organised and there
is no question of strikes by the workers as lockdown has already put halt on the factories and
industries. So strikes becomes meaningless.
The
manner to suspend the labour laws is undemocratic because it has been done simply
by promulgating
ordinances and notifying rules, no tripartite discussion took place.
the
situation is worrisome because there is
no provision for overtime pay, in case of working hours extended from 8 hrs To 10 hrs in Madhya Pradesh And
Gujarat. (Although Such provisions are available in Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh).
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