Prior Notice Before Lockout Now A Must As Madhya Pradesh Tweaks Labour Laws

The Madhya Pradesh Assembly has approved revised rules of the Labor Department, making it mandatory for industry management to issue a one-and-a-half-month notice before declaring a strike or initiating a lockout.

The bill has been introduced with the aim of reforming industrial laws, but it has sparked sharp political divisions.

While the ruling BJP says the law will benefit both workers and industries, the Opposition Congress has called it a step towards further exploitation of workers.

During the discussion, Congress MLAs vehemently opposed the bill, alleging it curtails the basic rights of workers to strike and protest. 

They claimed the law is skewed in favor of capitalists and contractors, promoting a contract-based employment system that undermines labor rights. 

Congress leaders, including Omkar Singh Markam, Vijay Rev Nath Chourey, and Dinesh Jain Bose, criticised the bill for enabling middlemen to exploit outsourced employees. They argued that contractors are taking hefty amounts from the government while paying meagre wages to workers and demanded that payments be made directly into workers' accounts.

As the bill was tabled and discussed in the House, Congress MLA Sohanlal Valmiki proposed an amendment, asserting that the bill infringes on the workers' right to protest. Despite the government's assurance that accountability will be maintained between factory owners and workers, Valmiki refused to withdraw his amendment. 

Following a vote, the amendment was rejected, prompting the Congress members to walk out of the Assembly in protest, raising slogans against the bill.

Labor Minister Prahlad Patel defended the bill, saying it is designed in the interest of workers and to attract industrial investment in the state. 

He explained that under the revised regulations, any industry intending to shut down must give a notice a month ahead, and similarly, any protest must be preceded by formal intimation. 

The new rules also amend licensing norms -- contractors now require a license only if they hire more than 50 employees, up from the previous threshold of 20. For factory licenses, the minimum number of employees required has been increased to 40.

Mr Patel also emphasized that the bill ensures better financial safeguards for workers, claiming that Provident Fund contributions will now be securely credited to employees' accounts without interference. "We respect the laborer, but the speed of development must also be maintained," he said. Addressing the opposition, the minister remarked that some MLAs are misled by false information and assured that the government is open to constructive criticism.

Despite the government's assurances, Congress leaders maintain that the bill weakens workers' rights and strengthens a system that already favors private contractors.