RSS wing protests BJP govt’s labour reforms

The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has announced a statewide protest on June 22 against what it called the anti-labour policies of the BJP-led government at the Centre.

The protest call follows an agitation by the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), another RSS-affiliated body, in support of distressed farmers in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The farmers’ protest turned violent in MP’s Mandsaur district, killing five people in police firing.

The BKS has suspended the agitation, saying the MP government has accepted its demands, including buying onions at ₹8 a kg. The organisation also called off its agitation in Rajasthan after holding talks with the state government.

Backing farmers’ protests in Rajasthan, BMS state secretary Jagdish Dhadhich hit out at the labour law reforms proposed by NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog.

“The planning body’s proposals have given an anti-labour face to the government,” Dhadhich said on Monday while addressing a meeting of the BMS Barmer unit.

“Currently, farmers are committing suicide in the country; the manner in which the government, especially NITI Aayog, is working, days are not far away when labourers will also be forced to commit suicide.”

NITI Aayog has pressed for reforms in labour laws to take the country out of what it calls the low-productivity and low-wage jobs situation.

The government’s think-tank, in its 3-year draft action agenda, has said that unifying the existing large number of labour laws into four codes without reforming them will serve little purpose.

NITI Aayog, instead making policies favourable to farmers and labourers, is furthering the corporate lobby’s agenda, Dhadhich said.

At the recently held triennial conference in Kanpur, the BMS has decided to demand reorganisation of NITI Aayog, he said.

“We are protesting against the NITI Aayog; we demand rejection of the planning body’s anti-worker action plan document on labour and employment,” he said.

The BMS will lay siege to parliament in November if the government does not accept the organisation’s demand, Dhadhich said.

“From the 2014 election campaign till the demonetisation move, we have supported the government agenda at every stage, but now we are feeling betrayed.”

The BMS also opposes the disinvestment of public sector units, he said. “PSUs are contributing 20% of the government’s income, and disinvestment will weaken the economy.”

Addressing the meeting, BMS Barmer president Babulal Ghanchi and secretary Jitendra Changani protested against the labour reforms policies.