Kerala Labour Minister V Sivankutty on Thursday made it clear that the state will not carry out the Centre’s four labour codes, even though most other states are moving ahead with them. Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Sivankutty said Kerala had already stated its stand at a Union Labour Ministry meeting last month.
“If we were succumbing to central government pressure, we would have given a letter accepting the codes. We have not done that,” he said, rejecting claims that the state had prepared draft rules because of pressure from the Centre.
‘All further procedures have been stopped,’ says Kerala’s Labour Minister
The minister explained that Kerala’s draft regulations, first issued on December 14, 2021, were prepared in an open manner and included a plan to invite comments from the public.
He said all work on these drafts has been paused and no action has been taken for the past three years, so people need not worry. “All further procedures have been stopped. We have not taken any steps in the last three years, so there is no need for concern,” he added.
Centre’s Labour Codes
The Centre recently brought out four labour codes that had been pending since 2020. These laws introduce major changes such as social security for gig workers, fixed minimum wages, compulsory appointment letters, and timely payment of salaries.
Sivankutty said the state would not take any position that harms workers and announced that a meeting will soon be held with central trade unions to discuss the impact of these new codes.
Officials also said the Labour Department is thinking about holding a labour conclave in Thiruvananthapuram in the third week of December.
