Unions have slammed some Indian states for suspending or amending existing labour laws and increasing working hours to try to curb the impact of the Covid-19 mandated lockdown, with the changes affecting a number of industries, including textiles.
State governments, including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, have increased working hours to 12 hours and 72 hours a week.
Go deeper with GlobalData
In a cabinet meeting held on 6 May, the Uttar Pradesh government suspended 35 out of 38 labour laws governing trade unions, industrial dispute and contract workers. All establishments in the state are exempt from all the labour laws for a period of three years.
The state governments that made sweeping changes are ruled by the rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is also the ruling party in the central government.
Aggressive changes to the labour laws were made through executive orders when the legislative assemblies or parliament were not in session. The changes undermine fundamental principles and rights at work, reversing decent work gains made through decades of trade union struggle, according to the IndustriAll global union.
See Also:
The Gujarat government exempted new industrial units from labour laws and norms for 1,200 days. Only three laws – the Minimum Wages, Act, Industrial Safety Rules and The Employee Compensation Act – will be applied to them.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataMadhya Pradesh provides exemptions from legal obligations under various labour laws, including the Factories Act, Industrial Relations Act, Industrial Disputes Act and the Contract Labour Act. It intends to increase the exemptions through amendments by executive order for a period of 1,000 days.
Eleven categories of industries, including textiles and leather, will be exempt from the Madhya Pradesh Industrial Relations Act for an indefinite period. There will be no inspection in the firms employing fewer than 50 workers and no surprise inspection will take place.
Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tripura and Punjab have also increased working hours and exempted establishments from following labour laws.
Valter Sanches, general secretary of IndustriAll, says: “We strongly condemn the Indian state governments’ attempt to increase working hours and suspend labour laws. Let us not forget that workers are in the frontline of the fight against Covid-19.
“The central government should not allow draconian labour law changes that are against internationally established human rights and international labour standards. The state governments should immediately withdraw anti-worker labour law changes. IndustriAll Global Union stands in solidarity with the Indian trade union movement to defend workers’ rights.”
Unions are planning nationwide action against the moves.
