The Kerala government has decided to hold wider consultations with trade unions before finalising the state's new rules for implementing the Labour Codes, according to the Chief Minister's Office. A special committee tasked with examining the issue will submit practical recommendations for framing the state rules within 10 days.

Source: ANI via Latestly

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan at the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, attended by Labour Minister Bindu Krishna and representatives of 22 trade unions. Satheesan said a final decision on implementation would be taken only after hearing the views of all stakeholders and examining the legally permissible options.

How the committee will work

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 draft recommendations will be circulated to all trade unions, and unions not represented on the panel will also be allowed to attend its sittings and present their views. The government will also give unions an opportunity to suggest amendments to the draft prepared in 2021 before the rules are finalised.

Nation Press, reporting the same decision, said the government committed to protecting workers' rights within the applicable legal framework and would seek to minimise any adverse impact of the Labour Codes. The meeting also decided to bring to the Central Government's attention concerns about the threshold prescribed for defining workers under the Labour Codes, and to urge the Centre to lower that threshold.

Source: Nation Press

Satheesan expressed the hope that the rules framed by Kerala would serve as a model for other states. The state will take its final call on implementing the Labour Codes after the committee reports and the legal aspects are examined.