Under the BJP rule Parliament is becoming more and more a place of legislative adventurism where the ruling party has been bulldozing laws as the new normal. Right from citizenship, everything like labour rights and farmers lives were treated in the same manner, by the whims of the ruling party, bypassing the normal parliamentary procedures. Behind each of their legislations, were the ideological and political persuasions of the ruling dispensation. It is the ideology of racial supremacy and big capital that decide the content and character of these laws. They may call them by attractive names, but beneath those names lie the real intentions which are opposite to their proclaimed purposes.

In the matters of labour codes this was quite evident. From the beginning, their claim was that the codes were intended to protect the interests of the workers, by reducing the hardships of dealing with more than forty laws. Talks about the 21stcentury working conditions were also in plenty. Deliberations in the labour standing committee were futile as none of its recommendations could find its place in the Act when passed in Parliament. The government was intoxicated by the illusionary goal of five trillion-dollar economy.

The basic failure of the labour policy of the BJP government is its total disregard for the role of labour itself in the country's progress. Due to their anti-labour class positions, the government even forgot the fundamentals of classical capitalism itself. Capitalist teachings have stated that land, labour and capital are the essential factors in the production process. While overplaying the importance of the other two, the government just ignored even the relevance of labour. In their pursuit for super profits global capital is eager to curtail the cost on labour, as the savings thus achieved could be added to their profits.

This neo-liberal economics of market fundamentalists have become the guiding principle of the capitalists world over. The 'swadeshi' branded government of BJP which has adopted FDI as its way to 'salvation' is following the same track. Each of the labour codes are designed in such a style to suit the interests of the FDI. That is why the united movement of the working class in India came forward with a patriotic zeal to resist the move from the very beginning. Though not a part of the united movement, even BMS, member of their parivar is hesitant to support the government on the labour codes.

Now, in its spree to serve the interests of the market, the government has started the process of framing the rules for the labour codes. The rules of any law can only be supplementary to the parent Act. It cannot cross the limit of the law to which they are attached. Still the rules can play a role, positive or negative in the process of its implementation. Even at this stage, the government is not in a mood to see to the concerns of the working class. The labour ministry has called a virtual meeting of the trade unions and employers together to discuss and finalise the rules for the code in one day. Their plan is to complete the whole procedures within a couple of hours. It is nothing but an eye wash. The government just wants to create an impression that consultations have properly taken place with the stake holders. In fact, the government through this name sake virtual meeting violates the spirit of tri-partism. The periodically held Indian Labour Conference (ILC) used to be a significant structure in the tripartite process. During the whole tenure of Modi government, the ILC was held only once. In the meantime, they held number of deliberations with the organizations of commerce and industry. This is a pointer to the real character of the 'sab ka saath' government!

Labour rights and the consultation procedures are the outcome of the long-lasting struggles of great sacrifices. At one stroke the government intends to snatch it away from the workers. The joint platform of the central unions has already urged the government to do this rule making process in a meaningful manner. To make it meaningful the meeting should be held physically not virtually and each code should be taken separately. Enough time should be devoted to completing the process. These are the minimum proposals that the trade unions would propose at this juncture. The government should open its eyes and relook into its hurried move to have a name sake, eye washing virtual meeting. (IPA Service)