‘No compromise on labours’ welfare’: TN CM Stalin announces withdrawal of amendment to Factories Act

 

Chennai: Extending his greetings on International Labour Day, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday announced the withdrawal of the amendment to the Tamil Nadu Factories Act stating that the state government will never compromise with the welfare of the labours.

While addressing the May Day celebrations in Chennai, Stalin said, ‘To attract huge investments in Tamil Nadu and to create employment opportunities for thousands of youngsters from North and South Tamil Nadu, the Government introduced one bill. That was not for all Industries and only for specific industries with regulations’. ‘Few opposed the bill with doubts. The DMK Labour Union itself opposed this Bill. I appreciate that. DMK is that much democratic. Then we had a discussion and withdrew this’, he added.

Targeting the Centre, Stalin said the farmers lost their lives in the protest on the borders of the national capital but ‘no one cares about it’. ‘Union Government withdraws new farmers law after one year amid the farmer’s huge protest. Even a few lost their lives in that Protest. No one cares about that. The DMK Government withdrew the bill in two days after Labourers Union raised doubts’, he said. ‘I never considered giving up a shame. I see that as pride only. If introducing some bill is courage, giving up that bill immediately is also courage only’, the Chief Minister added.

The Chief Minister added that whenever the DMK came to power, it implemented various welfare programmes to benefit the labourers and working class. He pointed out that during the regime of the previous DMK governments, holidays with pay on May 1, apart from a 20 per cent bonus for labourers, land for landless labourers and several other welfare programmes were implemented.

The passage of the bill to amend the Factories Act of 1948 witnessed stiff opposition from most, including DMK allies Congress, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and Indian Union Muslim League. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam allies and trade unions had strongly opposed the move and termed it ‘anti-labour’. On April 24, the bill was put on hold after political parties and labour unions threatened to take out a series of agitation in the coming days.