Shiv Sena (UBT) MP says new labour codes will erode workers’ rights

Shiv Sena UBT MP Arvind Sawant on Saturday slammed the implementation of the Centres four new labour codes saying they would destroy the rights of workers and create uncertainty reported news agency PTISpeaking to reporters Sawant who heads the Sena UBT workers wing accused the government of aligning with capitalists and the richThe law has taken everything from certainty to uncertainty he said adding that the new codes will be challenged in the courtsThe Union government has notified the Industrial Relations Code2020 the Occupational Safety Health Code2020 the Social Security Code2020 and the Code on Wages 2019 which have been pending since 2020 ushering in major reformsThe codes will destroy the lives of labourers and give them no certain rights The Bharatiya Kamgar Sena will oppose the implementation of these codes Sawant said reported PTIUnder the earlier law any factory owner employing 100 workers needed permission from the state government to shut his unit but the new code has raised the cap to 300 he saidSawant further said that when the Uddhav Thackerayled Maha Vikas Aghadi government was in power he had opposed any move to implement the codes in the state reported PTIThe government on Friday implemented the four codes introducing workerfriendly measures such as a timely minimum wage for all and universal social security including gig and platform workers while allowing longer work hours broader fixedterm employment and employerfriendly retrenchment rules reported PTIThe codes have replaced 29 fragmented laws with a unified and modern frameworkMeanwhile Shiv Sena UBT on Saturday accused the MahaYuti government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of making grand claims about infrastructure while ignoring the collapsing healthcare and basic facilities in remote tribal regions reported news agency IANSIn its editorial Saamana the Shiv Sena UBT said the governmentrsquos talk of development amounted to nothing more than ldquoempty wordsrdquo and ldquocolourful balloonsrdquo when people living barely a few hours from Mumbai continue to suffer due to poor roads inadequate health services and unreliable ambulance systemsThe Thackeray camp urged the Chief Minister to prioritize the basic needs of the poor and remote tribal populations namely decent roads health facilities and reliable ambulance services before focusing on ambitious projects like the Metro network highways and tunnel roadsThe sharp criticism followed the incident in Mokhada in tribal dominated Palghar district where an ambulance driver dropped off a tribal woman and her newborn baby halfway home after delivery forcing them and her relatives to walk two kmAccording to the editorial this event which came to light only because a citizen posted it on social media exposed the gap between the governments vision of development and the ground reality It said that despite seven decades of independence areas like WadaMokhada and other tribal parts of the state lack the basic necessities reported IANSThere are no proper roads or adequate transportation facilities daldalvanachi soy Even if a Primary Health Center PHC exists it often lacks doctors staff or medicines Due to a lack of roads pregnant women and sick people have to be carried in slings zoli or palanquins doli to the nearest town for treatment which frequently leads to deliveries or deaths during the journey Even when ambulances are available they are often useless due to a lack of roads or a lack of drivers said the editorial reported IANSWith inputs from PTI and IANS