ALL 41 Ordnance Factories across India observed November 26 as Black Day, protesting against the four new labour codes introduced by the Government, on Wednesday. Workers held gate meetings, dharnas, slogan-shouting protests and wore black badges to express their dissent. All India Defence Employees Federation (AIDEF) condemned the new labour laws, calling them anti-worker and stating that these laws mark the biggest attack on organized and unorganized labour since independence.

 

According to the federation, the new labour codes are designed to benefit industrial corporates, make permanent jobs obsolete and provide employers with excessive powers. During the protest, workers unions raised concerns that employers will no longer be required to provide permanent employment. Employers have been given the right to retire employees at any time, which unions say will help employers avoid giving the benefits associated with permanent jobs.

 

They also charged that working hours are being increased, causing further hardship to workers. Unions fear that more irregularities and harmful provisions in the four labour codes will surface soon. In GCF (Gun Carriage Factory), Jabalpur, workers actively participated in the protest. Prominent office-bearers present included Vinay Gupta, Uttam Vishwas, Raja Pandey, Ashish Vishwakarma, Ritesh Ben, Mukesh Sahu, Deep Vishwakarma, Rajesh Sharma, Sunil Singh, Krishna, Jitendra Mehar, Saikal Banerjee and others.

 

The workers reiterated their demand to roll back the new labour codes and protect the rights of permanent and contractual employees.