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Employees protest across country demanding withdrawal of new labour codes

NEW DELHI: Lakhs of employees across different sectors in the country staged protests on Wednesday against the new labour codes which came into effect from November 21. The nationwide protest was called by a platform of ten central trade unions and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a coalition of 40 farmer unions. They have demanded an immediate withdrawal of the move and the introduction of farmer-friendly policies. The groups also submitted a joint representation to President Droupadi Murmu highlighting their multiple grievances. Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) told this newspaper, The protest against the recently implemented labour codes was held at different periods by employees. Some did it before their shift commenced while some opted to do it after the completion of duty hours. Raising slogans loudly, wearing black badges, carrying placards or staging a sit-in protest were among the different steps resorted by the employees.The protests will continue and could culminate in a general strike unless the government rolls back the codes, Kaur added. Employees in Banks, Insurance, electricity, water, education and coal were among those who backed the protest, she added. The representation submitted to the President listed 16 demands from the organisations. Repeal of the four Labour Codes, no Contractualisation or outsourcing of labour in any form, withdrawal of draft Labour Policy-Shram Shakti Niti 2025, implementation of the National Minimum Wage of Rs 26,000 per month and pension at Rs.10,000 per month. Labour protest in Assam. The demands also included Social Security benefits for all workers including organised, unorganised, scheme workers, contract workers and agriculture sector, comprehensive loan waiver for farmers and agricultural workers to end indebtedness and suicides as well as credit facilities for farmers and workers at low interest rates figured among the demands. In a joint statement on the protest, SKM and the trade unions alleged, These labour codes are a negation of the labour rights won over after a struggle of 150 years from British Raj onwards. These codes negate our right to strike, make union registration problematic, de-recognition of unions easy, the process of conciliation and adjudication cumbersome, wind up labour courts and introduce tribunal for workers, and give overriding power to registrars to de-register unions, the statement further read. The definition of wage is being changed and the schedule of occupations for minimum wages applicability has been abolished, the statement added. The changes in Industrial code and its rule for increasing applicability-threshold from 100 to 300 would push out 70 percent of industries out of the coverage of labour laws, the threshold changes in Factory Act from 10 to 20 where power supply is used and 20 to 40 without power consumption would throw out substantial number of workforce from the coverage of labour laws, it pointed out. Labour protest at Bhubaneswar. This gives the employers the wide discretionary powers to repress and exploit, the Unions charged. Apart from AITUC, the other Unions which are part of the platform are the Indian National Trade Union Congress, Centre of Indian Trade Unions, All India United Trade Union Centre, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, All India Central Council of Trade Unions, Self-employed Womens Association, Trade Union Coordination Centre, Labour Progressive Federation and United Trade Union Congress have joined hands.

26 Nov 2025 11:40 pm