Trade unions demand rollback of four new Labour Codes

Trade union leaders have demanded a rollback of the four Labour Codes, claiming that those are detrimental to the interests of the working class.

Leaders and activists of trade unions affiliated to various political parties staged a protest against the Labour Codes at the Mahatma Gandhi statue near the GVMC Administrative Building on Wednesday.

Addressing the protesters, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) State general secretary Ch. Narasinga Rao said the working class had fought against the British rule over 140 years ago and got 44 Acts to protect their rights.

The Central government, led by Narendra Modi, had amended 29 of the 44 Acts into four Labour Codes that ‘deprieve the workers of their rights’.

Stating that over 30 crore workers participated in a nation-wide strike against the new Labour Codes on February 12, Mr. Narasinga Rao said that the Central government was going ahead with implementing them. Workers protested by sporting black badges at their workplace on Wednesday, opposing the move, he said.

Trade unions will wage a relentless fight against the new Labour Codes, he added. Leaders of CITU, AITUC, YSRTUC and others participated in the protest.