A paper prepared by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) wants to take away trade union rights of the workers employed in the National Manufactuing and Investment Zones (NMIZ). These NMIZs are being created in the pattern of the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) already in existence.
The paper proposes to exempt the NMIZs from the various Labour Acts of the Government viz.The Factory Act, The Industrial Disputes Act, The Trade Union Act, The Gratuity Act, The Provident Fund Act, The Employees State Insurance Act etc.All the labour issues will be dealt by the NMIZ itself which can create its own conciliation and compensation mechanism etc.
The paper also recommends three shifts for women workers, freedom to hire and fire, no compulsion to implement social security measures like EPF, ESI etc., In short this will be nothing less than the slave labour camps where you are compelled to work without any rights.
Despite the trade union acts, minimum wages etc., even in an organised sector like BSNL, the contract worker is denied of minimum wage, social secuity measures etc. In the Delhi Metro, which is a prestigious company, even half of the minimum wage is not actually paid. In such a situation what will happen in the NMIZs? It will be complete slavery.
The Central Trade Unions have to immediately expose this game of the government and stop it to save the workers from the slavery that is planned to garner more profits for the big corporates.