In the last few years, the Union has tried to dilute the working laws and the BJP government initially brought in 2023. Photo Credit: File Photos
As part of a step that could have an impact on Lakh workers in Karnataka, the Congress government proposed to bring changes to the 1948 factories.
Unie Govt’s push
In the last few years, the Union’s government has tried to dilute working laws and these changes originally brought the BJP government in 2023. Congress promised in its manifesto before the elections to the assembly of 2023 to eliminate these legal regulations “against the laboratory”.
The proposal, according to the notifications sent to the trade unions by the Ministry of factories, boilers and security, at a meeting scheduled for Thursday, speaks of the start of the discussion on the proposal for the removal of restrictions that are currently introduced for women in night exchange. From the area ban on women in night shifts, the BJP government has changed the law on factories to allow women in night shift, but with the consent and the provision of transport facilities. However, the current proposal is also to dilute some of these restrictions.
Mixed Trade Union (JCTU) Committee, which includes eight central trade unions, including the Indian trade union center supported by Congress (IntuC), already withdrawing and ready to ask the government against this step. The All-India (Aituc) Union Union (Aituc) complained about the International Labor Organization (ILO) when the first changes were made by the BJP government.
The trade unions also objected to the government, which initiated a discussion that women allow women to work in a dangerous industry. JCTu said that due to the prevailing socio -cultural standards of the patriarchate in society, the degree of participation in the labor force for women and men in Karnataka is 25%and 75%respectively. “In the clothing industry, the participation of women is up to 90%. Women suffer due to repressive conditions, including illegal practices of employment and fire, low wages and sexual harassment,” said M. Satyanand, secretary Aituc, Karnataka. “The BJP government has already diluted working laws. This government proposes them to further dilute them instead of strengthening labor laws,” he regretted.
The proposal to increase the daily working hours of eight at present has been criticized and the unions pointed out that it would be contrary to the international work standards received.
Usability
Regarding the proposal to increase the threshold of the applicability of the Act on Factory, JCTU said that of about 17,000 registered factories in Karnataka, the number of registered factories with less than 20 workers is about 7,200 or about 40% of all factories. The government intends to increase the threshold of the hiring factories by less than 10 workers to 20 workers. “This will have an impact on employees in factories in the applicability of key provisions related to work, overtime wages, annual leave with wages and security provisions,” he said.
Meenakshi Sundaram, General Secretary of the State of Karnataka from the Center of Indian Trade Unions (Cit), said: “It is disappointing that the Congress Government seems to have pressure on this sector. We actually were looking for a refund.
He feared that the increase in working hours would result in a loss of employment, as the capacity in many factories remains insufficiently used.
Published – May 7, 2025 20:15
