By now all our units and members would be aware that State Governments in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat have taken certain adverse measures which would seriously affect the interest of the working masses and trade unions.

Uttar Pradesh Government has brought an Ordinance titled “ Uttar Pradesh Temporary Exemption for Certain Labour Laws Ordinance 2020” under the guise of need for facilitating economic activities. With one stroke 38 laws are made defunct for 1000 days (almost three years) and the remaining are only section 5 of Payment of Wages Act 1934, Construction Workers Act 1996, Compensation Act 1923 and Bonded Labour Act 1976 which remain functional. Those laws made defunct include Industrial Dispute Act, Act on Occupational Safety and Health, Contract labour act, Migrant Labour Act, Equal Remuneration Act etc.

Madhya Pradesh Government has brought drastic changes in Factories Act, Contract Act and Industrial Dispute Act in a manner where the employers will be at sweet will to hire and fire the labour; the dispute raising will become non-starter; the contractors with no need to obtain license for supplying labour upto 49 persons; etc.

All this means that the workers are to be used as bonded labour without any rights for sheer exploitation in the interest of capital without any guarantee of wages, safety and healthcare, social security.

Gujarat government has blatantly taken illegal decision of increasing working hours from 8 to 12 hrs but no payment for extra working hours. UP and MP governments have given clean chit in regard to raising working hours as per need of the employers. These draconian measures are not only to further the sheer exploitation of the workers without their rights for raising any dispute over proper wages, safety at work place and guarantee of social security etc, but is also to make them defenseless. 

At a time when the working people are in distress, they are sought to be pushed into bondage of those who maximize their profits on the blood and sweat of workers.

Indian working class is being pushed back into black days of British Era and the trade unions have to fight it back. Already all the Central Trade Unions have expressed their serious opposition to these anti-worker measures.

Comrades, the tiger has knocked the door. Naked infringement of labour reforms by State Governments with open patronage of Central Government has emerged. When we all are concerned about the health of the working class under threat of Corona virus, Govt. is busy in enslavement of workers. Corona virus is only an excuse. The real agenda is to snatch away our hardwon labour rights.

To express our immediate protest and opposition to these anti-worker measures, we request all our unions to send email letter to the Prime Minister as per draft given herein.

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