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aligned with parties opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanded in a statement late on Friday that the laws be withdrawn ahead of nationwide protests they plan to hold on Wednesday.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
https://arab.news/4fx8e
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- Unions demand that the laws be withdrawn ahead of nationwide protests they plan to hold on Wednesday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
Ukraine president to meet European allies after Trump criticism
- Talks between Ukrainian and US officials in Miami ended on Saturday with no apparent breakthrough
- President Donald Trump accuses Ukrainian leader of not reading the US proposal to end the war with Russia
LONDON: Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky was due to meet with European allies in London on Monday, after President Donald Trump accused him of not reading the US proposal to end the war with Russia.
It comes after days of talks between Ukrainian and US officials in Miami ended on Saturday with no apparent breakthrough, with Zelensky committing to further negotiations.
The Ukrainian president will be received in London by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, along with the German chancellor and French president to discuss the negotiations.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is meanwhile expected in Washington on Monday, where she will meet her American counterpart Marco Rubio.
“The UK and US will reaffirm their commitment to reaching a peace deal in Ukraine,” the Foreign Office in London said, announcing Cooper’s visit.
Moscow has meanwhile continued to strike its neighbor, wounding at least nine people overnight Sunday to Monday, according to Ukrainian officials.
‘Disappointed’
Zelensky said he joined his negotiators for a “very substantive and constructive” call with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during the Miami negotiations.
“Ukraine is committed to continuing to work honestly with the American side to bring about real peace,” Zelensky said on Telegram, adding that the parties agreed “on the next steps and the format of the talks with America.”
But Trump criticized his Ukrainian counterpart on Sunday, telling reporters “I have to say that I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelensky hasn’t yet read the proposal, that was as of a few hours ago.”
Witkoff and Kushner had met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin last week, with Moscow rejecting parts of the US proposal.
French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of Monday’s talks slammed what he called Russia’s “escalatory path.”
“We will continue these efforts with the Americans to provide Ukraine with security guarantees, without which no robust and lasting peace will be possible,” Macron wrote on X.
He added: “We must continue to exert pressure on Russia to compel it to choose peace.”
Hot and cold
Washington’s initial plan to bring an end to the almost four-year war involved Ukraine surrendering land that Russia has not been able to win on the battlefield in return for security promises that fall short of Kyiv’s aspirations to join NATO.
But the nature of the security guarantees that Ukraine could get has so far been shrouded in uncertainty, beyond an initial plan saying that jets to defend Kyiv could be based in Poland.
Trump has blown hot and cold on Ukraine since returning to office in January, initially embracing Putin and chastising Zelensky for not being grateful for US support.
But he has also grown frustrated that his efforts to persuade Putin to end the war, including a summit in Alaska, have failed to produce results and he recently slapped sanctions on Russian oil firms.
