Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh urges phased roll out of four labour codes

There has been widespread protest by Anganwadi workers on the use of facial recognition systems, rolled out for the distribution of foodgrains and nutritional supplements

The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), an offshoot of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has urged the Union government to roll out the four labour codes in phases, pointing out that while the Wage Code and the Social Security Codes are beneficial to ordinary workers, there should be a rethink on some of the clauses in the Industrial Relations Code and the Occupational Safety and Health and Working Conditions Code.

BMS called for a rethink on some of the clauses in the Industrial Relations Code and the Occupational Safety and Health and Working Conditions Code. (Reuters/Representative)

There has been widespread protest by Anganwadi workers on the use of facial recognition systems, rolled out for the distribution of foodgrains and nutritional supplements. They also raised concerns about facial biometrics being prone to data and privacy breaches and cyber fraud.

At its Kendriya Karya Samithi or Central Executive Council meeting that concluded in Bhopal on Sunday, BMS  cautioned against the hasty roll out of the labour codes that were passed in Parliament in 2019 and 2020. The codes are central to labour reforms, and the government hopes that they will benefit workers, attract investments, and also improve the ease of doing business for companies.

BMS, which works with labour unions, claims affiliation with over 7,000 trade unions, 42 federations, and 2.5 million members.

The Code on Wages, 2019, relates to wages, including minimum wages and equal remuneration; the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, is aimed at simplifying regulations concerning industrial relations, trade unions, and dispute resolution. The Code on Social Security, 2020, merges nine laws to provide social security and benefits such as Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS), to all workers; and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, is related to safety and working conditions in the workplace.

In its feedback to the government, BMS had earlier pointed out that it should revisit the provision of the industrial relations code, which allows recognition of only those unions that represent 51% of the workforce. BMS functionaries said the organisation had backed provisions such as the inclusion of social security provisions for gig and platform workers in the Code on Social Security 2020.

In a statement, Ravinder Himte, BMS general secretary, said the organisation has sought the immediate implementation of the Wage Code and Social Security Code and also demanded that the Indian Labour Conference (ILC), the highest tripartite body of the labour ministry, should be convened at the earliest. ILC was last held in 2015, the organisation said.

“The Wage Code and the Social Security Codes are the historical ones that are more beneficial to ordinary workers. Therefore, BMS continuously insists on immediate implementation… the BMS is opposing many clauses that are against Workers’ interests in the Industrial Relations Code and also the Occupational Safety and Health and Working Conditions Code. Hence, it is opposing these two codes,” Himte added in the statement.