Following a ‘National Protest Day’ on 10th March (c.f. article No. 9535), India’s 11 major trade unions have called for a second nationwide strike on 02 September, protesting what they call anti-labour policies of the current NDA government with the ruling party BJP’s union wing Bharatiya Majdoor Sangh (BMS) being among the protestors. The date is significant as it marks the anniversary of the largely successful general strike that took place in 2015. This article visits various government initiatives and issues related to the country’s labor laws.
Current government reforms. The NDA government’s business-friendly approach has resulted in a push towards changing labour related legislation. India’s 44 central and as many as 150 state labour laws create a complicated legislative framework for businesses to navigate. Foreign and Indian private firms have long argued for labour reforms to speed up business and lessen their legal liabilities. As a result the government has launched some initiatives that aim to cater for their demands including:
- a soon to be adopted amendment to the Factories Bill seeks to change the definition of the term ‘factory’.
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