Big No To 12-Hours Work-Day Proposal by Modi Government

AICCTU Demands immediate withdrawal of this proposal

“We learnt that the one of the eleven empowered groups of senior bureaucrats on “facilitating supply chain and logistics management for availability of necessary items such as food and medicine” has made recommendations to allow longer working hours and to allow longer work-shifts through amendment in Factories Act 1948.

This proposal gives ample indications about the intentions of Modi-led BJP government of shifting the burden of COVID-19 generated wide-spread economic crisis on to the shoulders of workers, downtrodden and poor, who have already been suffering from the blows of pre-COVID economic recession in the country in the form of record job losses and cuts in wages and social security. And now, these working masses are the worst victims of lockdown imposed in the wake of COVID-19 calamity.

Modi led BJP government which has been desperately moving ahead to reduce all labour laws into four Codes for maximizing the profits of corporates is now putting corona crisis to use to implement pro-corporate and anti-worker labour law amendments and Codes in a backdoor method. The Draft Bill of Code on OSH (Occupational Safety, Health) is still under discussion because of stiff opposition from trade unions and the stake holders. In the meantime, the BJP government is trying to implement some of the most objectionable provisions like extended working hours through an indirect route using the crisis-period of pandemic in the country.

More than 40 crores of workers are affected, more than Corona, by poverty and hunger because of the most unplanned enforcement of Lockdown that has led to economic disaster in the country. In spite of the government advisories, many companies, including IT and ITES companies, are illegally retrenching workers using the pandemic situation. Workers are left with the choice of death either by Corona or by poverty and hunger. We are witnessing a spree of illegal and arbitrary retrenchment, job losses, denial of wages for Lockdown period, etc.

MSMEs has been the largest employer in the country. But, no workers in any MSME sector got any wages for the Lockdown period till now. Overwhelming majority of them are also denied wages for the work already done citing pandemic and Lockdown. In such a situation, the government should ensure wages also for Lockdown period in the MSME sector immediately. Manufacturers association is asking for compensation from the government for the losses but that cannot be a justification for denial of wages. MSME sector should immediately release wages for their employees and we are sympathetic to their demand from the government.

Providing food to a miniscule section of migrant workers cannot be the plea for denial of wages as that is the only economic support to their families.

AICCTU strongly condemns any recommendation that can rob off the rights of workers and Demands of the central government

• To reject the recommendation of the said empowered group to increase working hours that allow 12 hours work-day.
• To ensure payment of wages, should strongly enforce action against any retrenchment, job loss, wages for MNREGA workers for the period of Lockdown.
• AICCTU demands formation of Special Task Force with inclusion of central trade unions to alleviate problems of migrant workers and to ensure shelter, food and wages to migrant workers.