Image Courtesy:thewire.in
Rajasthan, which was the first state to dilute its labour rights by extending working hours under Factories Act from 8 hrs to 12 hours, has now taken a step back. On May 24, the Congress ruled state has back tracked on its decision by withdrawing its notification issued last month which effectively increased working hours for labourers to 12 hours, for the next 3 months.
Rajasthan Principal Secretary (Labour) Niraj Kumar Pawan, while justifying this move, told Business Standard, “The shortage of workers is no longer a concern with the revised lockdown guidelines by the Central government. Companies are no longer bound to cap workers in factories and many units have opened up in Rajasthan. There are no restrictions on the movement of workers, too. Hence, the order has been withdrawn”.
The General Secretary of The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Amarjeet Kaur in a press releases lauded the Rajasthan government’s move, “AITUC welcomes the decision of Rajasthan government to withdraw its earlier decision of increase in working hours from 8 to 12 hours which was meant for three months. AITUC would urge the other state Governments to follow the suit and withdraw all the changes being effected in the labour laws during Covid-19 lock down period.”
While stressing on the importance of labour rights in this health and economic crisis, she said, “The economy would pick up if workers, the key components to provide their labour be it skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled in manufacturing, productions, and services are taken on board for ensuring them justice for workplace safety, health measures, proper wages , eight hours of working as per existing norms and social security coverage etc…. The rights of workers were always a great help to get justice for all those who are out of its ambit as because they are workers of unregistered units or out sourced or on contract/ casual basis.”
AITUC was one of the leading trade unions raising its concern when about 10 states, one after the other, started issuing notifications diluting their labour laws in some way or the other, the most prominent one being increasing daily and weekly working hours. The states of Punjab, Odisha, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Assam and Gujarat are yet to take any action towards withdrawal of such notifications, while Uttar Pradesh has already taken requisite steps towards withdrawal of the 12-hour work day.
ON May 15, Uttar Pradesh withdrew its notification in response to a Public Interest Litigation in Allahabad High Court challenging the validity of the same. On the other hand, Madhya Pradesh, last week, amended its labour reforms and said, legal consent was necessary before workers are asked to work overtime, made overtime wages double the normal wages and increased the notice period before retrenchment from one month to three months
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