BMS to turn to MPs to 'pressurise' Centre and states on labour law changes

Outreach to include BJP MPs, outfit will hold seminars on corporatisation of defence production units and PSUs in strategic sectors

lockdown, coronavirus, Labour Day, Workers, construction work — Labourers unload sacks of wheat from a truck at a godown, on the eve of Labour Day, during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown on the outskirts of Amritsar

2 min read Last Updated : May 26 2020 | 8:00 PM IST

The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), the trade union arm of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), said on Tuesday its activists will seek help from all Members of Parliament to 'pressurise' Central and governments to change their “perceptions and policies” on labour related issues. It said this outreach to MPs, including Bharatiya Janata Party MPs, will take place from June 16 to June 30.

The BMS held protests against the labour law changes and increase of working hours by state governments on May 20. It held a series of online meetings of its leadership on May 24 and 25, chaired by its chief CK Saji Narayanan, to plan its forthcoming events.

At its meetings, the BMS identified five labour related issues on which it will continue its agitation – “pathetic condition of migrant workers”; “huge job losses”; “refusal to pay wages”; “unilateral suspension of labour laws and increase of working time to 12 hours; and “unbridled privatisation”.

According to a BMS statement, it appreciates “the change of attitude of some of the state governments due to the consistent efforts and pressure of agitation of BMS”.

But it also “expressed anguish at the three state governments” for “not withdrawing the anti-worker ordinances suspending labour laws as well as the 15 state governments for increasing working time to 12 hours”. The three state governments are BJP ruled Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat.

Apart from reaching out to the MPs, the BMS will hold series of meetings and protests in June. It said it will hold a “mass contact” program to educate workers on the changes being brought in labour laws by governments.

It said it will organise seminars on the corporatisation of defence production units and public sector undertakings in strategic sectors.

Apart from BMS, 10 other central trade unions have also launched protests against the changes in labour laws, and the BMS is under pressure from rank and file to protest the changes in labour laws.