Latest news with #JCTU
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Thousands of workers protest, production in industries affected in Bengaluru
The nationwide strike called by the central trade unions on Wednesday affected production in industries across sectors as workers sat on protest at various centres across the city. However, daily life was almost unaffected by the strike, as transport services operated as usual in Bengaluru, despite some transport unions supporting the strike call. According to the Joint Committee of Trade Unions (JCTU), about 8,000 workers arrived at Freedom Park, where a protest meeting was organised. The workers from engineering, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, electronics, and aerospace industries, among others, participated. 'Production came to a complete halt in several industries in the city as workers held a gate meeting before leaving to the protest site,' a source in JCTU said. A memorandum detailing the workers' demand was also submitted to the government. The JCTU urged immediate implementation of the draft minimum wages already notified by vacating the stay ordered by the court. Urging scrapping of the four industrial codes, the JCTU said that maximum working hours daily should be capped at eight hours and proposed an amendment to Section 24 of the Factories Act and Shops and Establishment Act that involves safety measures for working class, should be withdrawn.
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Hundreds take out march, stage protest in several districts as part of nation-wide strike
Hundreds of members of various trade unions took out protest marches and staged demonstrations in various district headquarters and major towns and cities in Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Uttara Kannada and Davangere on Wednesday in response to a call for a nation-wide agitation given by the Joint Committee of Trade Unions. Under the aegis of JCTU, employees of various government departments, banks, insurance companies, regional rural banks, workers of construction and various other industries, anganwadi workers, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and farmers took part in the agitation to highlight various demands pertaining to the working class. In Dharwad, the protest march was taken out from Kalabhavan to the Deputy Commissioner's office. Social activists S.R. Hiremath, G.N. Devi and others also took part in the agitation to express solidarity with the trade unions. The speakers strongly opposed the labour codes and attempts to introduce anti-labour laws through the backdoor and facilitate privatisation that will mainly benefit large corporate houses. They demanded that the labour codes be abolished and the long-pending demands of the working class be fulfilled. In Hubballi, amid rainfall, the protest march was taken out from Sangoli Rayanna Circle to Ambedkar Circle where a huge protest meeting was organised. Addressing the protestors, trade union leaders Mahesh Pattar, Gangadhar Badiger, R.F. Kavalikai, Stephen Jayachandra, Gurusiddappa Ambiger, Channamma Dolli and several others condemned the anti-labour policies of the Union government in strong terms. The speakers demanded abolition of the four labour codes and also urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Labour Minister Santosh Lad to announce that they will not allow the implementation of the labour codes in the State. In Haveri, braving the rainfall, the protestors took out a protest march from Murugharajendra Mutt to Hosamani Siddappa Circle where they formed a human chain to register their protest against the Union government. Subsequently, a protest meeting was held at the same venue and a memorandum containing the long-pending demands was submitted to the taluk officials. Addressing the protestors, DYFI State secretary Basavaraj Pujar demanded the immediate abolition of the four labour codes. He also demanded minimum wages of ₹36,000 for workers. He said that the labour codes will push the workers towards slavery. CITU convenor Andaneppa Hebasur, Jagadish Koti, Basavaraj S., Chaitra S.K. and others addressed the protestors and demanded fulfilment of their long-pending demands.
The Hindu
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Joint Committee of Trade Unions in Mysuru extends support to all-India general strike on July 9
The Joint Committee of Trade Unions (JCTU) in Mysuru has expressed their support for the all-India general strike called by various trade union organisations on July 9. Addressing media persons here on Thursday, office-bearers of the trade union organisations said that the government has adopted 'anti-worker' policies under the guise of 'ease of doing business'. The government was accused of diluting trade union laws and the protection to the working class by the introduction of four labour codes, which, the organisations said, was inimical to their collective interest. Hence, a general strike has been called by INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, AICCTU, SEWA,LPF, and other organisations in support of their demands. Their key demands include abrogation of the four labour codes, retaining work timings to 8 hours per day, job regularisation to ensure job security, right to constitute associations, etc., — all of which are under threat due to the labour laws leaning towards corporate bodies, they said. The trade unions have also sought a minimum wage of ₹26,000 in the unorganised sector across the country, along with abrogation of the practice of hired or contract labour. The trade unions also criticised the governments for outsourcing workers. Expressing their solidarity with the farmers who have sought pension for senior citizens among them, the trade unions said that agricultural workers should be given a monthly pension of ₹9,000. The nation-wide strike is also an effort to get the New Pension Scheme annulled, and urge the government to revert to the Old Pension Scheme. The State government was also urged to withdraw the proposed amendment to the Factories Act, as per which, the daily working hours will increase to 12. The office bearers of the trade union organisations also urged the government to withdraw amendments to various agriculture related laws, including the APMC Act, and termed those inimical to the interest of the farmers.
The Hindu
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Labour unions are worried as key changes are proposed in Karnataka's Factories Act
In a move that could impact lakhs of workers in Karnataka, the Congress government has proposed to bring changes to the Factories Act, 1948. The proposal includes removal of the remaining restrictions on women working in night shifts, allowing women to work in hazardous industries, increasing daily working hours, and increasing the threshold limit for applicability of the Factories Act. Union govt's push The Union government has been pushing to dilute the labour laws over the last few years, and these changes were initially brought by the BJP government in 2023. The Congress had promised in its manifesto ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections to remove these 'anti-labour' legislations. The proposal, according to a notice sent to trade unions by the Department of Factories, Boilers and Safety, for a meeting scheduled on Thursday, speaks of initiating discussion on a proposal to remove restrictions that are currently in place for women in night shifts. From a blanket ban on women in night shifts, the BJP government had amended Factories Act to allow women in night shifts, but with their consent and provision of transport facility. However, the current proposal is to dilute some of these restriction too. The Joint Committee of Trade Unions (JCTU), comprising eight Central trade unions, including the Congress-backed Indian National Trade Union Centre (INTUC), have already taken objection, and are set to petition the government against the move. The All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) had complained to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) when the first changes were made by the BJP government. The trade unions have also taken objection to the government initiating discussion on allowing women to work in hazardous industries. The JCTU has said that owing to prevailing socio-cultural norms of patriarchy in society, already the labour force participation rate for women and men in Karnataka is 25% and 75%, respectively. 'In the garment industry, the women participation is up to 90%. Women suffer owing to oppressive conditions, including illegal employment practices of hire and fire, low wages and sexual harassment,' said M. Satyanand, secretary, AITUC, Karnataka. 'The BJP government had already diluted the labour laws. This government is proposing to further dilute them instead of strengthening the labour laws,' he regretted. The proposal to increase daily working hours from the eight currently has been criticised, and the trade unions have pointed out that it would go against the accepted international labour standards. Applicability of Act On the proposal to increase the threshold of applicability of Factories Act, the 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 from factories hiring less than 10 workers to 20 workers. 'This will impact employees in factories in applicability of key provisions related to hours of work, overtime wages, annual leave with wages and safety provisions,' it said. Meenakshi Sundaram, Karnataka State general secretary of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), said: 'It is disappointing that the Congress government appears to be yielding to pressure of the industry. In fact, we were seeking rollback of these changes. The State government is trying to implement the anti-labour contents in the Labour Code.' He feared that the increase working hours would result in loss of employment since capacity in many factories remain underutilised.
