AITUC General Secretary Amarjeet Kaur alleged that successive governments tried to weaken labour laws in India.
Speaking on the role of the working class movement in India’s freedom struggle and nation-building as a part of centenary celebrations of B V Kakkilaya, she said the policy followed by the government since 2014 has neglected the interest of the labour class and put the working class to hardship.
“In spite of having several laws to protect the interest of the working class, they are not implemented effectively. There has been a ride on the interest of the labour class from 2014 to 2019,” Kaur said.
Stating that about 95% of the labourers are in the unorganised sector, Kaur said the majority of the employment in government and public sectors are outsourced.
The outsourced employees get only one-third of wages what the regular employees get.
She said the contributions of working class towards the freedom movement and human rights are immense. Labour laws are not post-independence gift to the labour class, but it is the result of the struggle of the working class, she added.
“Earning rights, fighting to defend and extend the rights will be a continuous process of the working class. The AITUC will continue to the challenge the present government if it fails to check crushing of working class,” she added.