Thiruvananthapuram: The Satheesan government has decided to hold wider consultations with trade unions before finalising Kerala’s new rules for implementing the Labour Codes, with a special committee tasked with submitting its recommendations within 10 days.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan at the Secretariat on Thursday, attended by Labour Minister Bindu Krishna and 22 trade union office-bearers.
The move comes as the state seeks to address concerns over the impact of the Labour Codes on workers while framing rules within the limits of the law.
CM Satheesan made it clear that the government would take a final decision on implementation only after hearing the views of all stakeholders and examining the legally permissible options.
The committee will be convened by the Labour Department Secretary, with the Law Department’s Additional Secretary as a member.
It will include seven representatives from various trade unions along with Labour Department officials.
Its primary task will be to submit practical recommendations for framing state rules under the Labour Code.
The committee’s draft recommendations will be circulated to all trade unions, while unions not represented on the panel will also be allowed to attend its sittings and present their views.
The government will also give trade unions an opportunity to suggest amendments to the draft prepared in 2021 before the rules are finalised.
One of the key concerns to be taken up with the Centre relates to the threshold prescribed for the applicability of provisions under the Labour Code.
The meeting decided to bring the issue to the Central government’s attention and urge it to lower the threshold.
CM Satheesan assured the trade union representatives that the government was committed to protecting workers’ rights and interests.
He said the state would take steps to minimise the adverse impact of the Labour Code, subject to the legal framework.
The Chief Minister also expressed the hope that the rules framed by Kerala would serve as a model for other states.
The meeting saw a common position among the participating trade unions on the need to safeguard workers’ interests.
The final state rules will be prepared and published after considering both the special committee’s report and the recommendations submitted by the trade unions.
The 10-day deadline sets a short timeline for the committee’s work, but the government’s final decision on implementation will follow the consultation process.
(IANS)
