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Nine trade unions under the umbrella of Joint Committee of Trade Unions (JCTU) have said it would oppose any proposal to increase the working hours and amendments the government would bring in labour laws.
JCTU comprising INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, AICCTU, TUCC, HMKP and GATWU, in a press release issued here on Saturday said under the pretext of the Covid-19 pandemic lock-down, employers’ bodies are lobbying with the Karnataka Government to increase the working hours to 12 hours per day (and 72 hours per week).
Employers are also pushing for other anti-worker amendments such as permitting industries with less than 300 workers to announce lay-off, termination and closure without prior permission and exemption for contract labour registration.
JCTU in its statement said, “According to CMIE estimates, the unemployment rate is already over 27 per cent in the country and far higher unemployment at 30 per cent in Karnataka. In such an environment, increase in working hours and allowing employers to dismiss workers will add to the unemployment rate.
“The contract workers will lose jobs if there is an increase in working hours as more than 50 per cent of the workforce in the organized industry is in the form of contract, temporary and informal categories. Workers in the manufacturing sector, auto mobile sector, garment sector and engineering sector will suffer immensely.
“India has ratified the ILO convention C001 – Hours of work (Industry) convention 1919. This is the international covenant regarding limiting the hours of work to 8 hours per day. India has ratified this convention in the year 1921 and therefore any increase in working hours now will push the working class back by 100 years to the colonial era.
In order to tide over the economic crisis, the government must take necessary measures to put money back in the pockets of the working class to revive the aggregate demand in the economy. Urgent measures must be undertaken to have equitable distribution of income. This is the only way to tied over the crisis".
The constituent trade unions of JCTU vow to to defend the eight-hour work a day and warn the State government against any such move to increase the working hours.
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