Wide spread National protest demonstration by the workers of India against the Modi Government move to amend the existing Labour laws.

Delhi, 20 August. Bigul Mazdoor Dasta,other labour organizations and labour unions from across the country marched from Jantar mantar to Parliament street as a part of the protest demonstration against the Modi government’s move to amend the labour laws on 20.08.2014 and burnt an effigy of the Prime Minister. Workers from all sectors participated in the rally in large numbers. The Modi government tabled their motion for making amendments in the labour laws during the session of parliament on 31 July. In a move to weaken the existing labour laws the Modi government proposed to make amendments in Factory Act 1948, Trade Union act 1926, Industrial Dispute Act 1948, Contract labour law 1971, Apprentice Act 1961. Earlier Factory Act was applicable to factories with a work force of 10 or more (in factories which use electricity) and 20 or more (in factories which do not use electricity) now the amendment proposed will change that number to 20 and 40 workers respectively. In this way now even a majority of workers can be denied legally of their rights by the owners of the factory. On one hand the government wants to increase the maximum hours of extra time from the existing 50 hours in a month to 100 hours on the other hand by amending the trade union act it wants to prevent the workers from organizing themselves into a Union. The existing laws provide that 10% of the workforce from a workshop or factory can get their Union registered however the amendment being proposed wants to make this percentage 30% of the total workforce. Contract labour act if amended will be applicable only to factories with 50 or more workers. The amendments being proposed in the Industrial Dispute act will allow the owners to shut down any factory with a workforce of less than 300 without having to be legally answerable to the court or government. There was no time limit to go to labour court for any dispute but if the amendments are done there will be a three year period within which only can the workers take their disputes to the court. By revising the Apprentice act the government will enable the appointment of temporary labour in place of permanent labour. Alongwith this the owners will not under legal scrutiny to be persecuted in any dispute .

Shivani from Bigul Mazdoor Dasta said that Modi Government is pleading the same reasons for making these amendments as were given during the period of 1990’s when the policies for Liberlization-privatization were being implemented, that these policies will generate more employment, improve the working and living conditions of the workers and provide security. But the real face of the anti people policies of the Liberlization-privatization era has been exposed in the public midst in the last 24 years. The gap between the affluent and the poor has been widening forever. The number of unemployed youth has been increasing with every year. The toiling masses have been deprived of the bare minimum necessities like education, healthcare, food, shelter. The real reason behind such amendments that will render the labour laws pliable is to help the Capitalist industrialists to oppress the workers to their whims and fancies and to take away whatever little legal rights they have. This is also why the capitalist houses have been given a subsidy of  5.32 lakh crores in the Union budget. The Rajasthan government had the ball rolling 2 months earlier when they proposed a similar motion in the state labour laws, the Central government is adopting the model of  Vasundhra’s government. Fabian from Naujawan Bharat Sabha said that the government has made it clear that it sides with the  rich capitalists and industrialists of the country and its loyalty lies with the masters yanking their chains. This anti-workers move is being projected to be in the interest of national development however the truth of the matter is that a large section of the population is still fighting for its survival then whose supposed development is the government concerned with. Varuni from Disha Students Organization said that this proposal by the government intends to leave the workers at the mercy of the factory owners. The central government must first ensure that the toiling masses of this country are provided with their constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights on the contrary this government is snatching away whatever little rights the workers have. Mahesh from Sri Ram Piston and Rings kaamgar union who have been fighting for the last 120 days for their rights in Bhiwadi said that they have experienced during their struggle that the administration and authorities side with the factory owners, their sympathies lie with the owners and not the workers. But we will continue our fight against this system till our demands are not accepted. Ajay from Gurgaon Mazdoor Sangarsh Samiti said that the workers produce everything and therefore this struggle is the struggle of the entire working class. We will keep on fighting till we get our rights. Arvind from Nirman Mazdoor union, Nirvana said that  the amendments being proposed by the government are not in the interest of the workers and is against the entire working class and we should protest against this dictatorial move with all our might. Women workers from Karawal Nagar union participated in the protest in large numbers and presented revolutionary songs at the protest. Representatives from Labour unions and student organizations across the country participated in the protest. The workers held a demonstration in protest  of all these anti worker amendments, and submitted a memorandum to the Central Labour Minister and the Prime Minister. Representatives from various Labour organizations from across the country addressed the gathering. Bigul Mazdoor Dasta Delhi, Bigul Mazdoor Dasta North West Delhi, Stri Mazdoor sangathan Delhi, Garam Rolla Mazdoor Ekta Samiti Wazirpur, Karawal Nagar Mazdoor Union, Shri Piston and Ring kaamgaar union Bhiwadi, Nirman Mazdoor Union Narvana (Haryana), Gurgaon Mazdoor Sangarsh Samiti, Udyog nagar mazdoor union, Mangolpuri mazdoor union, Delhi Metro Rail Theka Kaamgaar union, and Delhi kaamgaar union, Disha Student Organization, Vihan Cultural Team, Naujawan Bharat Sabha participated in the protest.

Organizing Committee

Bigul Mazdoor Dasta and other Labour unions

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