Trivandrum: United Trade Unions stage protest march against new Labour Bills

United Trade Unions staged a protest march here on Friday against the two new Labour Bills-The Code on Wages and The Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions- that was passed in Lok Sabha.

The Code on Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions Bill, 2019, amalgamates provisions of 13 Central Labour Acts while the Code on Wages, 2019 codify relevant provisions of four existing laws to increase the legislative protection of minimum wage to the entire workforce

Sonia George, one of the trade union leaders said: "There have been a lot of protests against this amalgamation of labour laws. Crore of workers, especially in the organised sector will be affected by this."

"Minimum wages act and maternity benefits act which affects the organised sector are getting nullified. What should happen after that?" she said.

Talking on the effects of a single minimum wage, she said: "The workers always asked for their rights through their respective sectors and according to their needs. All these segregations have been taken away."

"Apart from this, the government has proposed a minimum floor wage of Rs 178. Who can survive on that much amount of money? It was against the parliamentary labour committee who suggested Rs 375 as minimum floor wage. This will affect the workers in a big way," she added.