Report received from Comrade Harbhajan Singh Sidhu, General Secretary, Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS)
Two days ILO Trade Union Consultation on ‘Towards an Inclusive Labour Agenda’ was held on 12th and 13th September 2024 at Hotel Park New Delhi. Eleven Central Trade Unions’ leaders participated in ILO consultation.
Comrade Harbhajan Singh Sidhu, General Secretary, HMS while addressing on the Inclusive Labour Agenda, as panellist, raised several issues.
He said that the Indian trade unions are passing through a very critical phase due to anti-labour policies of the government under the pressure of big corporates and MNCs to give them full power of hire and fire and full flexibility, free hand for enforcement of labour laws, no inspection of factories and shops and establishment and no respect to ILC Convention, Recommendation, Declaration and Protocol.
Government agreed with the demands of employers of scrapping 29 pro-labour laws and formulated pro-employers 4 Codes and Rules, stopped all inspections and did not call Indian Labour Conference since 2015 ,violating all core fundamental rights of workers, decided for corporatization, privatization of profit making Government and PSU sectors, off-loading of regular and permanent work on contract, on fix terms of appointment ,no benefits of EPF and ESI, giving benefits to employers and is not ratifying core ILO conventions, i.e., C87, C98, C190, C189, R208, OSH, etc.