Amid a 48-hour nationwide strike by traders demanding a minimum wage of Rs 18,000 per month, the government on Tuesday introduced the Trade Unions (Amendment) Bill 2019 in Lok Sabha to make provisions regarding recognition of trade unions. The Congress and the CPI(M) staged a walkout calling it a "draconian and unconstitutional" legislation.
Introducing the Bill, Union minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar said that so far there was no legal framework on the representation of trade unions in policymaking and the proposed legislation will address such issues. He said the government is not doing anything wrong by introducing this Bill. "When the Bill will come up for discussion, all the issues can be discussed," he added.
Meant to amend the Trade Unions Act 1926, the Bill proposes to grant statutory recognition to trade unions at both the central and state-level. With this proposed legislation, the recognition of trade unions at central/state level will reduce duplicacy of such exercise by different departments. Recognised trade unions may be assigned specific roles at central or state level.
The government stated the amendments will facilitate recognition of trade unions at central and state level and ensure true representation of workers in tripartite bodies. The proposed legislation will ensure that the nomination of workers' representatives in tripartite bodies by the government will become more transparent.
However, the present Bill provides for only registration of trade unions and there is no provision for recognition. The Bill is also silent on the issue of mandatory recognition of trade unions at the enterprise/establishment level — a long-standing demand of the unions.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor demanded that the Bill be referred to the standing committee. He said the Bill was introduced in a hurry and gave sweeping discretionary powers to the government on the subject.
"It is an undemocratic act. It was introduced surreptitiously. It is a direct abuse of rules of the House and violates the rules and procedures," he alleged, adding the Bill also failed to lay out comprehensive objectives.
BILL HILIGHTS
- The bill will facilitate representation of trade unions in policymaking
- Present Act provides for only registration of trade unions
- More transparency in nomination of workers’ representatives in tripartite bodies by govt
- Recognised unions will be more accountable
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