Four new labour codes designed to favour corporates: AITUC

NT Reporter

Panaji

Members of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and affiliated unions in Goa staged a rally at Azad Maidan, Panaji, on Tuesday in support of a nationwide protest called by central trade unions and farmers’ organisations. The protest was held against what they termed “anti-labour and anti-farmer policies” pursued by both the central and state governments.

The unions criticised the BJP-led NDA government for enforcing four new labour codes, which they alleged are designed to favour corporates while dismantling hard-won workers’ rights. The AITUC alleged that the labour reforms undermine statutory protections and increase worker exploitation.

On the issue of agriculture, the protestors accused the Centre of reviving the provisions of the repealed farm laws through a new policy framework and failing to provide a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP). They also flagged forced land acquisitions, evictions of forest dwellers, and the lack of a comprehensive loan waiver for farmers.

In Goa, the unions targeted the state government’s repeated extension of the Goa Essential Services and Maintenance Act (ESMA), which prohibits strikes in the pharmaceutical sector. They claimed the act shields pharmaceutical companies that allegedly violate labour laws and harass workers, while discouraging unionisation.

AITUC Goa general secretary Christopher Fonseca said the strike was part of a broader call by trade unions and farmers’ bodies across India. He accused the government of prioritising profit-driven interests over the welfare of workers and farmers.

The protestors raised over 20 demands, including scrapping the four labour codes, withdrawing the ESMA notification, regularising contract workers, enforcing equal pay for equal work, and ensuring job security. Some demands also included implementation
of a national minimum wage of Rs 26,000 per month, legal guarantee for MSP at C2+50%, universal social security coverage, and sustainable mining operations in Goa.

Fonseca said that if the government continued to ignore the voices of workers and farmers, the agitation would intensify in the coming months.