Changes to Labour Laws: Good or Bad? A Debate

For such a policy, criticism is coming even from BJP’s own faction. Virjesh Upadhyay who is the general secretary of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh which is an RSS affiliated Trade Union is aghast, and he condemned the decision saying that it is against the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions. The Trade Unions have decided to oppose and protest against the new changes made to labour laws.

 While there has been a lot of criticism and backlash from Trade Unions, activists and communist party leaders, the government argument point in buttress is that the labour laws which were abrogated were very complicated and rigid which had brutally killed the animal spirits of entrepreneurs and investors in doing labour intensive business in India. This had affected our economy badly over many years, shrank many of the business size and volume and resulted in higher unemployment rates in India.

 The new changes to labour laws give more flexibility to employers in labour-related matters and also protects them from illegitimate harassment from Factory Inspectors demanding bribes. With investors and employers having freedom in labour-related matters, the decision will supposedly attract new investment to the states which in turn will create new job opportunities for many people who want to work as labourers.