Kerala calls emergency meet against Centre's labour code push

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 26 Kerala has decided to host a National Labour Conclave in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, bringing together major trade union leaders, legal experts, and even Labour Ministers from non-BJP-ruled states.

The initiative comes in the wake of the Union government’s decision to implement the four consolidated labour codes — Wage Code, Industrial Relations Code, Social Security Code, and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code — from November 21.

Labour Minister V. Sivankutty said Kerala is strongly opposed to the unilateral enforcement of these codes, which, he argued, contain provisions detrimental to labour rights and trade union protections.

The minister, who represented the state at the Labour Ministers’ Conference in Delhi on November 11 and 12, said Kerala had firmly conveyed its objections to the Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and highlighted the "anti-labour clauses".

While the Union Minister assured that trade unions would be consulted before finalising the notification, no such meeting was held, and instead, the implementation notice was issued abruptly.

In response, Kerala has called an emergency meeting of central trade union representatives on Thursday.

"The government will proceed only after hearing the views of trade unions," Sivankutty asserted.

He recalled that since 2019, Kerala has resisted pressure from the Centre to frame state-level rules for implementing the new labour codes.

In July 2022, the state organised a high-level workshop involving trade union leaders, management representatives, and legal experts.

The participants had sharply criticised the codes, calling them regressive and pro-employer.

Respecting those concerns, the state had decided not to move forward with draft rules.

Sivankutty noted that, unlike most other states, Kerala has deliberately withheld further action for three years, underscoring its commitment to labour welfare.

"We are the only state that has not rushed into implementation or drafting rules. Workers' rights and protections cannot be compromised," he emphasised.

He added that Kerala’s stance is guided by principles of practicality, social justice, and scientific planning.

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