MUMBAI: Ten large Indian trade unions condemned the government’s rollout on Friday of new labor codes, the biggest such overhaul in decades, as a “deceptive fraud” against workers.
The unions, aligned with parties opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanded in a statement late on Friday that the laws be withdrawn ahead of nationwide protests they plan to hold on Wednesday.
Modi’s government implemented the four labor codes, approved by parliament five years ago, as it seeks to simplify work rules, some dating to British colonial rule, and liberalize conditions for investment. It says the changes improve worker protections.
While the new rules offer social security and minimum-wage benefits, they also allow companies to hire and fire workers more easily.
Unions have strongly opposed the changes, organizing multiple nationwide protests over the past five years.
The Labour Ministry did not immediately respond on Saturday to a Reuters request for comment on the union demands. The government has held over a dozen consultations with unions since June 2024, an internal ministry document on the labor codes shows.
The rules allow longer factory shifts and night work for women, while raising the threshold for firms that need prior approval for layoffs to 300 workers from 100, giving companies greater flexibility in workforce management.
Businesses have long criticized India’s work rules as a drag on manufacturing, which contributes less than a fifth to the country’s nearly $4 trillion economy.
But the Association of Indian Entrepreneurs expressed concern that the new rules would significantly increase operating costs for small and midsize enterprises and disrupt business continuity across key sectors. It asked the government for transitional support and flexible implementation mechanisms.
Not all unions oppose the overhaul. The right-wing Bharatiya Majdoor Sangh, aligned with Modi’s party, called on states to implement them after consultations on some of the codes.
Indian states are expected to craft rules aligning with the new federal codes covering wages, industrial relations, social security and occupational safety.
India trade unions condemn new labor codes, plan nationwide protests
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India trade unions condemn new labor codes, plan nationwide protests
- Unions demand that the laws be withdrawn ahead of nationwide protests they plan to hold on Wednesday
- Modi’s government implemented the four labor codes, approved by parliament five years ago, as it seeks to simplify work rules
Venezuela advances amnesty bill that could lead to mass release of political prisoners
- Such an amnesty is a central demand of the country’s opposition and human rights organizations with backing from the United States
CARACAS: Venezuela’s legislature on Thursday advanced an amnesty bill proposed by acting President Delcy Rodríguez that could lead to the release of hundreds of opposition leaders, journalists and human rights activists detained for political reasons.
Such an amnesty is a central demand of the country’s opposition and human rights organizations with backing from the United States. But the contents of the bill have not been released publicly, and rights groups have so far reacted with cautious optimism — and with demands for more information.
The bill, introduced just weeks after the US military captured then-President Nicolás Maduro, still requires a second debate that has yet to be scheduled. Once approved, it must be signed by Rodríguez before it can go into effect.
In announcing the bill late last month, Rodríguez told a gathering of justices, magistrates, ministers, military brass and other government leaders that the ruling party-controlled National Assembly would take up the legislation with urgency.
“May this law serve to heal the wounds left by the political confrontation fueled by violence and extremism,” she said in a pre-taped televised event. “May it serve to redirect justice in our country, and may it serve to redirect coexistence among Venezuelans.”
Rights groups, fearing some political detainees will be excluded, want more details about the requirements for amnesty before any final vote.
The Venezuelan Program for Education-Action in Human Rights, or PROVEA, issued a statement emphasizing that the bill must be made public urgently due to its potential impact on victims’ rights and broader Venezuelan society.
Based on what is known so far about the legislation, the amnesty would cover a broad timeline, spanning the administration of the late Hugo Chávez from 1999 to 2013 and that of his political heir, Maduro, until this year. It would exclude people convicted of murder, drug trafficking, and serious human rights violations, reports indicate.
