Trade unions, AIPEF members hold protest on Wednesday against labour codes

New Delhi: A joint forum of 10 central trade unions, farmers' body Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and members of power sector engineers' body AIPEF on Wednesday held nationwide protests against the four labour codes approved by the government.

In a landmark overhaul of labour laws, the government on Friday notified all four Labour Codes, ushering in major reforms, including universal social security coverage for gig workers, mandatory appointment letters for all employees, and statutory minimum wages and timely payment across sectors.

In a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu, the joint forum said, "These codes negate our right to strike, make union registration problematic, de-recognition of unions easy, the process of conciliation and adjudication cumbersome, winding up labour courts and introducing tribunal for workers, overriding power to registrars to de-register unions." Speaking with PTI, AITUC general secretary Amarjeet Kaur said protests were held in over 500 districts of the country in which formal and informal workforce from all sectors and the industry participated.

Meanwhile, AIPEF Chairman Shailendra Dubey said lakhs of power sector workers also participated in the protest against labour codes and the Electricity Amendment Bill. The All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) has opposed it, arguing that the bill proposes multiple distribution licensees to use the existing network of government dioscoms.

"The bill seems to support privatisation motives. The central government continues to press ahead with its privatisation agenda through the Electricity (Amendment) Rules," AIPEF Chairman Shailendra Dubey said.