AITUC rejects draft of "Shram Shakti Niti 2025”

 Received From MSB on Thursday 9th October 2025 at 16:44 Regarding New Labour Policy

Demands immediate convening of Indian Labour Conference

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Ludhiana: 9th October 2025: (MSB//Comrade Screen Desk)::

AITUC rejects draft of new labour policy
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When the workers got the right to eight-hour daily wage after the struggles and sacrifices of Chicago,

then machines were very few. There were no computers at all. Factories and factories were running only with the hard work of the workers. The labor of these workers used to fill the coffers of the capitalists and capitalists.

After a long period of development, when the technology of machines and computers came, the workers were told that their working hours would also decrease and their salaries would also increase. After all, their hearts also want to get rid of work and immediately sit with their families and enjoy their happiness.

But after the country gained independence and technology increased, the human rights that would make these dreams come true were still in the middle of being realized, when the inhumane behavior of considering the flesh-and-bone bodies of these workers as machines started to be used. Strict action was taken against those who worked more than 12 hours. Holidays started being cut. In many places, even the May Day holiday started being objected to.

Labor organizations were still expressing their displeasure against these excesses, when now the draft of the New Labor Policy-2025 was also announced. We will also discuss what this draft is in a separate post. Currently, you can read the news of this new Labor Power 2025 in our partner publication Hindustan Screen in Hindi language and regularly in English language as well. As soon as this new Labor Policy-2025 was announced, the oldest and largest organization of the working class, AITC, has rejected the draft of this policy from the beginning. AITC has rejected it in very balanced but strong words.

The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) has completely rejected the draft Labor Policy “Labor Power Policy 2025” issued from New Delhi. This policy has come out as a unilateral imposition of bullying by the BJP government, which is a clear violation of the established tripartite process. This serious and undemocratic step is a setback for the workers and trade unions.

AITUC has demanded that the Ministry of Labour and Employment immediately withdraw the draft and hold consultations with the central trade unions before any referendum.

This Manpower Policy means — a comprehensive strategy by the government to regulate workplaces and manage the employment structure of the country, which guarantees the rights and protection of workers. Consultation with trade unions before formulating such a policy has been a standard and mandatory practice in India. This process alone makes any policy valid and effective. Consultation with trade unions is not an option, but the foundation of a successful labour policy.

AITUC has condemned the authoritarian approach of the Ministry of Labour and Employment in issuing the draft without mandatory consultation with trade unions.

The National Labour Policy sets the strategy for the workforce of any government. This should include employment security, new job creation, social security (including maternity benefits), working hours, safety, skill development, etc. But the current draft policy does not meet these criteria and its credibility is in serious doubt. In the context of the BJP’s pro-corporate and anti-worker policies, this draft seems to be just an attempt to justify its anti-worker bias.

A brief study of this draft makes it clear that it is only to fulfill the labour codes that were strongly opposed by the central trade unions. It does not contain any concrete policy on employment security, new job creation and mandatory provisions or arrangements for minimum wages as per the Minimum Wages Act. In the absence of a policy on artificial intelligence and just transition and against the backdrop of an incomplete, questionable data system, the claims made in this draft are mere eye candy.

AITUC has strongly challenged the false claim of universal social security propagated by the Labour Ministry. Welfare schemes are not social security. Every worker — be he/she in the unorganised sector, daily wage earner, gig, contractor, agricultural, domestic or home-based worker — should get minimum wage and social security as a legal right and its implementation should be strictly monitored. No policy less than this should be accepted.

AITUC once again rejects the draft "Shram Shakti Niti 2025” and demands the Ministry to withdraw it immediately and initiate dialogue with the central trade unions, for which the Indian Labour Conference should be convened at the earliest.

This statement was issued by Comrade Amarjit Kaur, a bold and very responsible leader of AITC who is also the General Secretary of AITC (All India Trade Union Congress).