25 crore workers are going to strike against the new Industrial Relations Code Bill

Almost all the central and independent trade unions of the country have decided to strike on 8 January against the new Industrial Relations Code Bill.

The trade unions claim that 25 crore workers will be involved in the strike.

CH Venkatachalam of All India Bank Employees Union and Federation of Indian Trade Unions CITU Secretary-General Tapan Sen told the BBC that the bill is in favour of industrialists and owners and against workers.

CH Venkatachalam said, “This is an anti-worker, anti-trade union and anti-democracy move.”

Says Tapan Sen, “This government wants to make workers bonded labourers, it is a government of industrialists and is doing so openly in the name of Ease of Doing Business.”

The response of Virjesh Upadhyay of RSS-linked Indian Labor Union was mixed.

He says, “If this bill is trying to make workers bonded labourers, then they are already bonded labourers because a part of this bill had become law only last year.”

According to him, the Sangh has not supported the strike on 8 January. He says, “This is a political strike by the Congress and the Left parties.”

According to Labor Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar, the purpose of the bill is to streamline industrial relations and make the trade index easier.

As part of labour reforms in the bill, the Ministry of Labor has decided to put 44 labour laws into four labour codes which include wages, industrial relations, social security, health and working conditions.

But according to trade union officials, the Narendra Modi government has made it difficult for employee unions to go on strike, easing the way for factories and companies.

No permission will have to be taken from the government

It is also proposed in the bill that the owner can give a job to any worker and can also take a job.

However, closure and retrenchment of firms with more than 100 employees will require permission from the government.

But it has given the state governments some slackness to reduce or increase this limit.

The government’s proposal was that the number could be increased to 300 or above from 100 employees.

The government did not include it in this bill after the objections of the labour unions.

Later this proposal can be included because now the provision is that if the government wants to go-ahead and make changes, then it does not need to be approved in Parliament.

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Virjesh Upadhyay of the Indian Labor union is against this provision.

He says, “Right now the law is that if there are 100 or more employees to close an industry or factory, then the government will have to take permission.

The government had proposed to increase it to 300 employees.

We opposed it. Government Has accepted it but has added a new provision with it which is not correct. “

To this, Tapan Sen said, “If the government changes this tomorrow, there is no need to come to Parliament.

The government can make the change by passing an order on its own. The government has broken the process of the legislature.”

Labor Minister Gangwar says that before the preparation of this bill, there were several levels of interaction with the workers’ union and all the parties and while preparing it, the interests of the employees and workers have been taken into consideration.

In Parliament, he said that the aim of this bill is to protect the factories, industries and the people working in it, improve salary and bring a better working environment for them.

But all this is wrong, says Tapan Sen, “The goal of this bill is to snatch away the rights of workers and make them bonded labourers so that the owners benefit.”

Expressing his displeasure, he goes on to say, “The government is the owners and not the people”.

According to CH Venkatachalam of All India Bank Employees Union, the government is with the capitalists, whose aim is to be dishonest.

The bill will be introduced in the Rajya Sabha after it is passed in the Lok Sabha. The government hopes that the bill will soon take legal form.

According to Tapan Sen, it will not be so easy for the government to implement it.

He says, “What will be a successful government. Factories also have to be run. All the trade unions are going on strike on 8 January.

Then you will have an idea of ​​our strength. “The government should have no significant time in passing the bill in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

10 central trade unions have announced a nationwide strike against the government’s anti-worker policy.

Now public sector employees of public sector banks have also supported this strike.

2 bank unions will also participate in the nationwide strike to be held on 8 and 9 January.

10 central trade unions have announced a nationwide strike against the government’s anti-worker policy.

Now public sector employees of public sector banks have also supported this strike.

View all comments Write your comment IDBI Bank told BSE that All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and Bank Employees Federation of India have informed the Indian Banks Association (IBA) of this nationwide strike to be held on 8 and 9 January.

In a second note to the BSE, the Bank of Baroda said, “During the AlBEA and BEFI strike to be held on January 8–9, 2019, work in some of the branches and offices of the bank in some zones may be affected.” 10 Central Trade Unions INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, AICCTU, UTUC, TUCC, LPF and SEWA have also called a nationwide strike on 8–9 January.

The reason for calling this strike is the ‘anti-people’ policy of the central government.

These unions have placed 12 demands before the central government.

Earlier on December 26, 2018, 9 bank unions (about 10 lakh bank employees) went on strike. These included employees of private banks as well.

The 1-day strike was called to protest against the merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda.

Ashwin Rana, vice-president of the National Organization of Bank Workers (NOBW), a banking union affiliated to the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS). Said that BMS is not involved in this strike as it is a political strike.

Therefore other unions related to NOBW will not join the strike.

Originally published at https://www.mubahisa.in.