Labour unions submit memorandum to CM opposing increased working hours

In response to a notification issued by the Punjab Government increasing daily wage hours, various labour and employee organisations submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister of Punjab, opposing the implementation of the four labour codes passed by the Centre during the Covid period.

The action was carried out under the joint banner of Democratic Employees Federation Punjab and the Rural Labourer Union, led by Hans Raj Garhshankar, Satpal Kaler, Bagicha Singh Sahungra, and Paramjit Singh Chauhan. The memorandum was handed over to Deputy Speaker Jai Kishan Rouri on behalf of employees and labourers.

Sharing the details, Democratic Employees Federation leaders Mukesh Kumar and Sukhdev Dansiwal, along with other labour leaders, stated that the increase in daily working hours by the Central and State Governments was a direct violation of established labour laws. They said that this was a continuation of the rollback of labour protections that had been in place for the past 34 years and that the new policy direction was being dictated by global corporate interests under economic liberalisation.

Under these new directives, the Punjab Government has raised daily working hours from 8 to 12, which the protesting leaders argue is unjust and regressive.

As a first step of resistance, organisations including IFTU, DMF and the Gramin Karamchari Union submitted demand letters to the Chief Minister through various MLAs and ministers across Punjab on June 13. The leaders also announced a nationwide strike scheduled for July 9 in protest against what they termed anti-labour, anti-employee, and anti-people policies.