CITU demands withdrawal of new labour codes

The State Committee of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) on Monday held a massive protest against the four labour codes implemented by the Central government, demanding that they be withdrawn and the earlier labour laws restored.

Hundreds of CITU members assembled outside the DC office, raising slogans against the Central government and the labour codes.

Addressing the gathering, Vijender Mehra, state president of CITU, said the new labour codes are anti-worker and pro-corporate and must be repealed immediately. He alleged that the codes notified by the BJP-led Central government undermine democratic rights, workplace safety, wages and social security of workers while restructuring the labour framework in favour of corporates.

“These codes will increase contract, outsourced and temporary employment in both organised and unorganised sectors and make trade union activities more difficult,” he said. Mehra pointed out that the Central government has scrapped 29 labour laws and replaced them with four new labour codes.

He added that trade unions across the country have consistently opposed these codes through protests, nationwide strikes and joint actions with farmers’ organisations. “Ignoring such widespread resistance and pushing ahead with implementation only reflects political bias against the working class,” he said, warning that the codes will lead to lower wages, weakened protections and deep insecurity among workers.

CITU also announced that it will hold a statewide protest on November 26 across all district and block headquarters as part of a nationwide agitation against the labour codes.