Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Chennai, Nov 23 (IANS) Four major left and progressive parties, CPM, CPI, VCK and CPI (ML) Liberation, have strongly condemned the central government’s new labor code, calling it a massive attack on workers’ rights and a serious blow to India’s labor movement.
In a joint statement issued on Sunday, CPM state secretary P. Shanmugam, CPI state secretary M. Veerapandian, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan and CPI(ML) Liberation state secretary Pazha Asaithambi urged workers, trade unions and the wider public to participate in a statewide protest on December 8, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the code.
The parties said the Center has replaced 29 long-standing labor laws with four consolidated codes on wages, industrial relations, occupational safety and social security, a move they described as a corporate-friendly reform aligned with the Hindutva agenda.
They warned that the new structure would erode labor protections won through more than a century of struggles and seriously weaken wage security, job stability and welfare provisions.
He accused the Center of pushing labor codes during the COVID-19 lockdown and termed it an undemocratic attempt to favor corporate interests at a time of widespread hardship.
He argued that the new norms provided wide powers to employers. Increasing the limit of prior government approval for closure of establishments from 100 workers to 300 will deprive most workers of basic legal protections.
Redrawing worker categories will further weaken existing safeguards, he said, rejecting the Centre’s claim that unorganized workers will benefit.
The statement warned that fixed-term employment provisions would accelerate the replacement of permanent jobs with insecure, temporary contracts.
Weak social protection measures and less regulatory oversight will deepen exploitation in both the organized and unorganized sectors, he said.
Trade union rights, including the right to organize and strike, were also under direct threat.
Arguing that the government’s emphasis on “investor confidence” is only for corporate profits, the parties cited a huge increase in the number of dollar billionaires, from 70 in 2014 to 358 in 2025, while unemployment also increased.
He said that every year about 11 crore migrant workers undertake long journeys in search of work, due to which the increasing inequality cannot be denied.
He also said Tamil Nadu, Kerala and several other non-BJP ruled states have not made rules for the labor code, accusing the Center of ignoring states’ objections and undermining federal principles.
Urging wider participation, the Left parties and the VCK called on workers and the public to join district-level demonstrations on 8 December to protect labor rights and protest against “anti-worker, pro-corporate” changes to India’s labor laws.
–IANS
fish/svn