The ongoing Bharat Bandh, organized by a coalition of trade unions and supported by various groups, aims to protest against the government’s labor policies. Despite criticisms, legal adviser Akshay Birwadkar from the Forward Seamen’s Union of India in Mumbai pointed out that these policies include beneficial provisions for unorganized sector workers. He emphasized that the new laws focus on enhancing wages, social security, and workplace rights.
Advocate Birwadkar mentioned that the government’s labor laws have undergone extensive discussions over the years before being finalized. He highlighted key provisions such as the uniform national minimum wage, equal pay for men and women, and double-rate overtime pay. These aspects, according to him, have been incorporated into the new legislation. Birwadkar also criticized certain political parties for allegedly misleading workers for their personal gains and disrupting the country’s peaceful environment.
The legal adviser stressed the importance of updating the legal framework due to changing employment patterns, especially in unorganized and emerging sectors. He noted the necessity of bringing these sectors under a legal framework to ensure workers’ rights are protected. Birwadkar commended the Central government’s efforts to expand social security coverage to include more workers, such as through the EPFO and ESI schemes.
