Kerala Left leader V. Sivankutty slams Centre’s Labour Codes for ‘enabling hire and fire’ policy
The pro-labour former LDF government had refrained from notifying the exploitative Labour Codes introduced by the Centre, and hence the Industrial Disputes Act continues to
The pro-labour former LDF government had refrained from notifying the exploitative Labour Codes introduced by the Centre, and hence the Industrial Disputes Act continues to remain in force in Kerala, said former State Labour Minister and CITU State secretary V. Sivankutty. He was addressing employees who were terminated without prior notice by the US technology company CorroHealth Infotech Private Limited from its Kochi office, following a protest march organised by CITU. Workers at the company’s Kozhikode centre also face similar prospects. Under the Industrial Disputes Act, mass lay-offs without the prior approval of the State government and the Labour department are illegal, Mr. Sivankutty pointed out.
Employees alleged that they were dismissed by the medical coding company under the provisions of the new Labour Codes. Sivankutty said the Centre had passed the Labour Codes under the pretext of ensuring “ease of doing business” for corporate entities. In reality, he argued, the codes grant corporate honchos unrestricted power to “hire and fire” workers and shut down operations at their whim. Through the Industrial Relations Code, the Centre is attempting to exclude those earning beyond a certain ceiling from the definition of “worker.” Unilateral and arrogant actions of management such as deploying security guards and bouncers to stop workers at the office gate and blocking their identity cards cannot be permitted in Kerala, he said.
The company has attributed the shutdown to loss of business. Yet, it is simultaneously recruiting at its centres in Uttar Pradesh and Bengaluru, which, according to Mr. Sivankutty, exposes a strategy to exploit cheaper labour. This, he alleged, reflects a “use and dump” policy. “If other IT companies adopt a similar approach, what will be the future of our educated youth? The arrogance of corporates has the political backing of the Centre. The unilateral termination of workers in Kochi and Kozhikode has shocked Kerala. The company has thrown the lives of hundreds of families into disarray through a mere email. This is not about a single company but a signboard of where the IT industry is headed driven by the hunger for profit of corporates and the anti-labour legislations passed by the Centre,” he said.
Sivankutty expressed hope that an amicable solution would emerge at the Labour Minister-level meeting scheduled for Friday. Meanwhile, employees at the Kochi office continue to be denied entry. Labour department officials have been recording the attendance of workers who turn up at the office, an arrangement that will continue until Friday’s meeting.
The BriefWire