The labour wing of the RSS —Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) — on Thursday called for a nationwide protest on May 22 against the dilution of labour welfare by three BJP-ruled States, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
The BMS announcement comes on the heels of similar protests earlier announced by other Central trade unions affiliated to the Congress, Left parties and trade unions not affiliated to any political parties.
The BMS condemned the total withdrawal of labour laws in UP, MP and Gujarat and criticised the move of increasing working hours from 8 to 12 by States like Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Goa and Odisha — ruled by non-BJP parties.
“It is learnt that many other States are readying to follow the trend. This is unheard in history and is rare even in most undemocratic countries,” the BMS said in a statement.
The Sangh said its State units have written to State Chief Ministers but only Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has shown the courtesy to meet its delegation. The Mazdoor Sangh said that migrant worker’s issues have aggravated mainly because there is gross violation of Migrant Labour Act by most of the States.
“Hence we are pushed to the wall and there is no other way out except going for agitation. Hence the BMS decided nationwide agitation in solidarity with the fight against the anti-worker Ordinances in UP, MP, Gujarat as well as increase of working hours in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Goa and Odisha,” BMS general secretary Virjesh Upadhyay said.
This comes just days after UP, MP and Gujarat - all BJP-ruled States - exempted a chunk of labour laws for firms willing to invest in these States. The move was taken to create jobs for those leaving big cities in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic. Corporate and Industry, according to observers, wants Governments to ‘simplify’ labour laws if they want global firms to come and invest.
Keen to invite investment, some BJP-ruled States have gone ahead and exempted labour laws hoping big investments from the global firms that would help in job creation.
Besides BMS, all other unions have described changes as anti-labour and against the convention laid down by the international labour organisation. They have said that workers already suffering under the lockdown have now been made “virtual slaves”.
The BMS said it will also protest against the increasing of working hours by the State Governments of Rajasthan, Odisha, Goa and Maharashtra. Goa also has a BJP Government. Punjab and Assam have also increased the working hour limit to 12 hours from 8 hours in a day which translates into 72 hour a week.
“The working hours have been increased from 8 to 12 hours. It is learnt that many other States are readying to follow the trend. This is unheard of in history and is rare even in the most undemocratic countries,” Upadhyay said.
Upadhyay said migrant workers’ issues have aggravated mainly because there is gross violation of migrant labour law by most of the States. “We have been pushed to the wall and there is no other way out except going for agitation,” he said.
BMS protest will follow three-stages. In the first phase, the State units of BMS will send letters to district authorities from May 16 to 18 on local issues of non-payment of wages, job losses, relief measures to unregistered workers, migrant workers, etc.
On May 20, its workers will hold district level protests, and in industrial estates, while conforming to social distancing. On May 30 and 31, BMS will organise sectoral level conventions on the issue of changes in labour laws, and demand their withdrawal.