Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan greets CITU General Secretary Tapan Sen along with Supreme Court Justice V Gopal Gowda and Education Minister V Sivankutty at a conclave on new labor laws in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. | Photo credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN
The Kerala government has decided to take the lead in raising workers’ demands at the national level by pressuring the Union government against the new four labor codes. The decision in this regard was taken at a national-level labor conclave organized by the labor ministry here on Friday, which termed the new four labor codes introduced by the Centre, replacing the country’s 29 existing laws, “anti-labour”.
According to the decision of the conclave, the state labor minister along with representatives of the central unions will soon meet the union minister of labor and draw attention to the anti-worker nature of the central labor laws. Kerala will continue to be a role model for the country when it comes to protecting workers’ rights. The government will ensure the security of all sections of the people, including IT, the gig economy and migrant workers, the conclave announced.
A panel of legal experts
Besides, the conclave decided to form a committee of three legal experts to study the labor codes, understand the implications of the labor code for the workers in Kerala and suggest solutions. Former Justice Gopala Gowda, Professor Shyam Sundar and Varkichan Petta will be members of the commission. Two research students will also be part of the committee. The commission will submit a preliminary report within a month.
The conclave came to a close with a declaration of a strong stand by the working class and Kerala against the four labor codes that the Center intends to introduce. The conclave also unanimously passed a resolution declaring that the uncompromising struggle against central laws that take away the basic rights of workers will continue. According to Labor Minister V. Sivankutty, the four labor codes presented by the Centre, which codify 29 major labor laws, do not protect the interests of employees, but those of businesses.
This is against the conventions of the International Labor Organization. These laws were introduced after 2015 without convening the Indian Labor Conference and holding adequate negotiations with the trade unions. While most states have amended their laws in favor of labor laws, Kerala is adamant that it will not make any anti-labour changes. Since labor is a subject included in the concurrent list of the constitution, the government will use its constitutional powers to protect the rights of workers in the state, the conclave announced.
More working hours
The conclave also raised concerns about allowing the working hours to be extended from eight hours to 12 hours as it will pave the way for labor exploitation. The very concept of job stability through fixed-term employment is destroyed with the implementation of the new labor laws. The new laws also weaken the right to strike and the right to organize. According to her, the new codes do not provide social security for most of the unorganized sector, including gig workers.
Opening the conclave, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said it was the political and moral duty of a democratically elected government to speak on behalf of the working class, highlight its concerns and stand by it, especially in an era of growing inequality between capitalist and labor around the world. He said the state strongly believes that development models that do not ensure job security and social welfare are not sustainable. According to him, the government defines the term “development” not only in terms of gross domestic product or company profits, but as a qualitative change in people’s living standards and an economy based on social justice.
The conclave was attended by Finance Minister KN Balagopal, Mr. Gowda, General Secretary of Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Tapan Sen, Trade Union Leader and former Rajya Sabha member Elamaram Kareem, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) leader Amarjeet Kaur, National Secretary of Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) Sanjay Kumar Singh.
Published – 19 Dec 2025 21:06 IST
