Kerala will voice its strong opposition to the four labour codes introduced by the Centre at an upcoming conference in New Delhi, state Minister V Sivankutty said on Tuesday.
Sivankutty said that as the state minister for Labour and Skill Development, he will participate in the national conference of labour and industry ministers and secretaries to be held in New Delhi on November 11 and 12.
Talking to reporters here, he said Kerala is ready to bring timely reforms to the existing labour laws from a worker-friendly perspective.
However, the state does not agree with the provisions in the current labour codes that “weaken workers’ rights, social security, and trade union freedom”, he said. Kerala gives priority to ensuring workers’ right to get organised and bargain collectively, and to strengthening safety standards including minimum wages, the minister added.
“The state will convey its concerns on this matter to the Centre and will demand necessary amendments to the labour codes to ensure the welfare of workers,” Sivankutty said.
Labour reforms should not be aimed solely at achieving ‘ease of doing business’; instead, they should focus on improving the ‘ease of living’ and the quality of life of workers, he said.
This will be the standpoint Kerala presents at the conference, he added.
It is the policy of the LDF Government to strengthen employer-employee relations and to continue maintaining Kerala as a labour-friendly state, Sivankutty added.
He further said Kerala is committed to ensuring workers’ welfare and promoting inclusive development in collaboration with the Union Government.
The state has expressed its willingness to cooperate in major initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana, the expansion of Employees' State Insurance (ESIC) coverage and so on.
Kerala would also work to integrate various labour and skill development programmes to ensure maximum benefit, he said.
To enhance social security coverage for workers, the state would also cooperate in sharing information with the EPFO (Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation), the minister added.
