By Dr. Gyan Pathak
The year 2023 is beginning with a prospect of more intensified labour and trade union movement in India. A convention of all Central Trade Unions is already scheduled to be held on January 30 to chalk out an intensive path for concrete struggle to be taken unitedly in the country against alleged anti-labour and pro-corporate policies of the incumbent government at the centre lest it would implement the four controversial labour codes before the General Election 2024.
It would worsen PM Narendra Modi’s predicaments since nine states of the country would go for polls, considered to be semi-final political contest to test respective strength of the ruling and opposition political parties, and the result of which would cast its spell on the outcome to the Lok Sabha election due to be held by mid-2024. Modi government would be tabling its last full budget in February 2023 before the general election in 2024, thereby it would be last chance for him to politically appease both the corporate friends and the workforce, who have been agitating against its policies – particularly on labour reforms through four labour codes and privatisation of public sector undertakings.
A year before in January 2022, PM Narendra Modi was somewhat relieved after the farmers movement led by SKM was called off in December 2021, after he had unilaterally withdrawn the three farm sector laws seeking to bring corporate to the farm. Farmers have been campaigning against BJP in the state elections throughout 2021, and the party had to undergo electoral setbacks that had frustrated its expectation, more pronounced in the West Bengal elections of April. Electoral setbacks to the party were also witnessed during by-elections.
Farmers, Trade Unions, and Employees associations etc had joined hands to protest the Modi government’s policies. Withdrawal of farm laws did not help the government in 2022. It could not even win back its estranged political partner SAD again into NDA. Farmers of Punjab opted for AAP during February 2022 election, after which the party formed its government in the states. The year closed with two other significant loss for Modi’s BJP – in Himachal Pradesh to Congress, and in Delhi Municipal Corporation to AAP.
The entire 2022 was a year of Trade Union and Employees Union Movements, as the year 2021 was the year of Indian Farmers’ Movement. Ten Central Trade Unions organized all India strike actions in March. They continued agitation the whole year. Banks, Insurance Companies, Public Sector, and government sector employees’ associations and unions also went for demonstration and strikes. Now we see, that the year is closing with upsurge in general disenchantment of farmers and workforce, who have resumed their protest demonstration afresh in November and December.
Additional factor is coming of RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) and Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) into the picture in December. BKS organised Kisan Garjana Rally in Delhi and threatened political consequences if Modi government would not concede to their demand in time, while BMS leaders in rare gesture of expressing unity of the trade union fraternity went to AITUC convention in Alappuzha and voiced their concern on several issues confronting labour.
It would have been easier for PM Modi to announce implementation of the four new labour codes in 2023, had their not been upsurge in farmers and workers agitation towards the end of 2022, which included all hues of unions and associations including the RSS-BJP affiliated ones. Moreover, elections to the legislative assemblies of nine states are have politically aggravated this difficulty. In this backdrop, Modi would like to tread carefully with great caution on all issues relating to farmers and workforce.
It is out of fear that PM Modi would devise certain means to implement some of the provisions of the scraped three farm laws, of yet-to-be-implemented four controversial labour codes, and privatisation of public sector undertakings, the farmers and workers have stepped up their agitations again and are preparing for more intensive struggle in 2023. Such a fear has roots in several initiatives of Modi government relating to farm sector, labour reform, and privatisation especially through subtle disinvestment of certain public sector undertakings, such as seen in selling of IPOs in LIC, mere offering of constitution of a high-powered committee on legal guarantee of MSP, and encouraging private sector banks and insurance companies.
Due to political reasons, many observers feel that PM Modi would not opt for implementation of four controversial labour codes or bring back some farm sector reforms in 2023. Moreover, they also expect the pace of privatisation of public sector companies, banks, insurance, etc to be slowed down. PM Modi would not like to take risking BJP’s political prospect either in 2023 or 2024, unless he or his advisors are overwhelmed by overconfidence.
The four controversial labour codes that were labelled by PM Modi as the much needed, much awaited, biggest labour reform in independent India, has been resisted tooth and nail by the Central Trade Unions ever since they came into existence in 2019 and 2020. They could not be implemented since labour is in concurrent list of the Constitution of India and states needed to come out with their rules before notification of implementation. States were preoccupied in tackling COVID-19 crisis, and hence framing of rules delayed. Modi government has missed several targeted dates for their implementation. Union Ministry of Labour has said that they are almost ready for their implementation, that has alarmed the Central Trade Unions resulting in preparation for more intensive united struggle in 2023.
Restoration of old pension scheme for government employees have become an issue now, the impact of which has been against the BJP as we have seen in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh elections. Central Trade Unions have come out in support of restoration of old pension scheme, enhancement of pension to at least Rs 5000 for workers in the organised sector, and credible social security net for unorganised and informal workers, who according to a AITUC study has increased to 97 per cent of the total workforce.
In this backdrop, it seems there is a greater scope of mobilisation of workers in 2023, for which 10 Central Trade Unions are gathering for a national conclave on January 30 where they are likely to discuss the next course of action, which could include an indefinite strike and direct action, if needed till 2024 general election.
The recent years have been marked with “lack of dialogue” between the Modi government and Central Trade Unions. ILC meetings have not been called since 2015. Labour codes were passed in 2019 and 2020 without consultation. Tripartite consultations have been put on back burner. Only RSS-BJP-affiliated BMS has been given importance, and this year it was included in ILO representation and now appointed L-20 chair to discuss labour related issues of the G-20 summit later in 2023. Central Trade Unions were not given enough time in Union Budget consultations of the Union Minister of Finance which led to their boycott. (IPA Service)
The post Workers And Trade Unions Struggle To Intensify In 2023 first appeared on IPA Newspack.
