THROUGH ITS PRESS RELEASE DATED 21 NOVEMBER 2025
REITERATES DEMAND FOR REPEAL OF ANTI-WORKER LABOUR CODES

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) vehemently debunks the utterly deceptive claims made through the PIB Press Release (PRID 2192463) on the Four Labour Codes dated 21st November 2025. The press note of the Government of India attempts to portray these Codes as “pro-worker” and “modernizing,” while in reality they constitute the most sweeping and aggressive abrogation of workers’ hard-won rights and entitlements since Independence, aimed at facilitating corporate exploitation, contractualisation and unrestrained hire-and-fire.

CITU places below its point-wise response to the false claims propagated by the Government.

1. On the claim of “simplifying 29 laws into 4 Codes”!
The so-called simplification has been used as a cover to dilute, abolish and dismantle protective provisions of existing labour laws such as the Industrial Disputes Act, Factories Act, and Mines Act Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act etc. Rather than strengthening rights, the Codes dismantles job security, dilute the role of labour departments pushing it to negative direction, and push the entire workforce into precarious employment. With more than 90% workforce in unorganized sector, who will provide and guarantee the issuance of appointment letter?

2. On “Universal Social Security for all, including gig and platform workers”!
The Social Security Code does not guarantee universal coverage in any sense. Sections 109–114 merely talked about schemes for gig and platform workers, without mandatory timelines, defined benefits or allocations. The proposed aggregator contribution of 1–2% of turnover is too inadequate to fund pension, PF or health benefits; Aadhaar-based portability etc are all meaningless unless employment relations and employers’ obligation is ensured through statutory provisions and employment records and proper enforcement machinery - which are all absent in the Code. The social security code has not decreased the threshold number of employees in the EPF, ESI & Gratuity provisions from the existing threshold of 20 and 10 respectively and wage ceiling in the EPF & ESI for the coverage. But in the PIB statement it is deceptively claimed that all workers will get PF, ESIC, insurance and other social security benefits.

3. On “minimum wage coverage for all and a national floor wage”!
The Wage Code does not provide a scientific living wage as per 15th ILC norms and Supreme Court Judgment. An abysmally low national floor level wage, which too varied in different regions, will lead to forcing many states to reduce existing minimum wages. Moreover calling it “National Floor Level” is a substandard deceptive tactics since it differs from region to region as stated in the Wage Code. With weakened inspection and enforcement systems, over 45% of workers already earning below minimum wages (PLFS 2023) will continue to remain outside any meaningful protection. Moreover, a huge section of workforce like scheme workers is still outside the purview of this minimum wage.

4. On Preventive Health Care
Instead of extending the ESIC facilities to all the employees and ensuring health care facilities with the contribution of employers to ESIC without any threshold limit of workers and wage ceiling, the code talks of only statutory health check up after 40 years at the employers cost. It is another fraud on the employees and workers. For the coverage of establishments below 10, it is optional and voluntary for employers’ which most don’t do, and violation even in mandatory is rampant as seen presently.

5. On Timely wages !
The code on wages which has removed the existing provision of imposing fines up to 10 times even for the first time delay in payment of wages and illegal deduction, deceptively claims of ensuring timely wages which is a cruelty meted to the workers just to favour employers. Further the provisions of payment of wages which were applicable to MNREGA are now made non applicable through code on wages just to abdicate the Govt liability for timely payment of wages to the most vulnerable rural sections of workers. The central share of wages of millions of scheme workers is pending for months even as of now, but the govt claims of timely payment of wages to all through implementation of codes under which scheme workers are not covered.

6. On “fixed-term employment ensuring equal benefits”!
Fixed-term employment legalizes permanent temporariness in perennial and core jobs. Employers/corporate are endowed with unrestricted power to replace permanent jobs with short-term contracts. Gratuity after one year does not compensate for the loss of continuity of service, seniority, and actual benefits. This provision is aimed at destroying stable employment and weakening unionization.

7. On “equal opportunities and safer conditions for women workers”!
Allowing night shifts without enforceable safeguards and consent leads to coerced consent in a distressed labour market. The Codes do nothing to address the real problems faced by women workers, i.e., contractualisation, unequal pay, harassment, unsafe workplaces and denial of maternity benefits. Prohibitions on gender discrimination remain meaningless without strong enforcement, which the Codes dismantle completely.

8. On “improved protection for MSME, plantation, mine and construction workers”!
Self-certification and exemption mechanisms and above all increase in the threshold level for coverage, undermine rather negate the safety and labour standards in MSMEs leaving the labour totally unprotected. Construction Worker Welfare Funds continue to remain underutilized (besides promoting large-scale evasion of cess payment by employers - over ₹38,000 crores unspent (CAG 2022); and the Codes provide no mechanism for transparency or guaranteed payouts. The dilution of inspections in hazardous sectors like mining and plantations will worsen India’s already alarming workplace fatality rate.

9. On “strengthened, faster industrial dispute resolution”!
The Industrial Relations Code cripples the right to strike by imposing various conditions, for all sectors, banning strikes during and after conciliation and extending restrictions across all establishments. Raising the retrenchment, lay off and closure threshold to 300 workers for prior government permission enables hire-and-fire in more than 90% of the Indian workplaces. More than 12 lakh disputes are now pending for adjudication; average disposal period of disputes-adjudication is ranging from 3 to five years for more than 75% of the disputes. Implementation of Labour Codes will make the situation worst since the Govt, vide its Shrama Shakti Niti already put in public domain, has already confirmed the abdication of its mandatory responsibility of implementing labour laws by “repositioning itself from compliance of laws to role of a facilitator of employment”.

10. On “inspector-cum-facilitator improving transparency”!
Replacing independent inspectors with facilitators, and shifting to algorithm-based inspections, and dismantling complaint-based inspection are direct moves towards deregulation. Centralised Random inspections and compliance on self-certification will fuel violations of wages, safety norms, working hours and social security provisions. Workers lose an essential legal mechanism to fight exploitation.

11. On “labour flexibility creating more jobs and investment”!
The claim is absolutely fraudulent. There is no evidence, national or international, that diluting labour rights creates employment. Rajasthan’s labour law changes (2014–15), often cited by the Government, failed to increase jobs and instead accelerated contractualisation. India continues to face record unemployment and increasing informalisation, rather precarisation of employment relations even in formal sectors and consistent stagnation/decline in employment generating investment which cannot be denied by even official reports including from RBI. These Codes will worsen the crisis manifold by replacing secure jobs with disposable contract labour, apprentices/trainees and interns.

12. On “extensive stakeholder consultation”!
Indian Labour Conference (ILC), the highest tripartite official forum in the country has not been convened since last ten years despite consistent persuasion by the trade unions. All Central Trade Unions, including CITU, AITUC, INTUC, HMS, SEWA, AIUTUC, AICCTU, UTUC, TUCC and others, unanimously opposed the Codes in every consultation with concrete irrefutable arguments supported by documentary evidences. The Government ignored every major objection raised by trade unions. The Codes were pushed through Parliament without the opposition present, making a mockery of democratic procedure.

The four Labour Codes are an instrument of corporate-driven labour market deregulation, aimed at: destroying job security, suppressing the right to strike, dismantling labour inspection, expanding contractualisation and fixed-term employment, weakening unions and collective bargaining and limiting social security to token schemes - all aimed at a mad drive of minimization of labour cost and also dismantling of labour rights.

CITU demands the repeal of all four Labour Codes.
CITU calls upon the Working Class of India to join the united call of joint platform of central trade unions to combatively defy and resist such atrocious anti-people measures through militant united struggle both at sectoral and national level – asserting collectively the rights being attempted to be snatched away.

CITU salutes the workers for the immediate spontaneous protests, and urges its unions, workers across sectors, industries and regions to intensify united struggles, join broader joint trade union actions, and build powerful resistance to defend labour rights, social security and democratic freedoms - rise with full strength on 26 November 2025.

The working class of India has fought and defeated anti-worker policies before; it will do so again.

Issued by,
Tapan Sen
General Secretary

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) expresses shock at the tragic Railway accident near Bilaspur on 4^th November 2025, where a MEMU local train collided with the rear of a stationary goods train.

CITU condoles the death of nine people including the loco pilot Sri Vidyasagar in the accident. It shares the grief of their families and friends.

Tragic rail accidents are recurring amid big claims of improved safety in Railways by the Minister. CITU strongly condemns the attitude of the Railways, of prematurely accusing the diseased loco pilot for jumping the danger signal even before the commencement of the statutory enquiry by the Railway Safety Commissioner, thereby prejudicing the enquiry.

CITU and several unions of Railway employees like the AILRSA have been highlighting the negligent attitude of the Railways in ensuring safety of the passengers as well as the Railway employees, under the neoliberal regime. There is severe shortage of loco pilots in South East Central Railways. It is reported that as on 1^st January 2025, there were 2556 vacant posts amounting to around 39% of the posts in Bilaspur division itself while in the entire zone 4330 posts, i.e. 37% posts are vacant. In the last 10 months around 500 loco pilots retired or left their jobs. This creates unbearable workload and pressure on the existing staff, who are denied rest and weekly leaves

CITU demands that the Railways address the real problems in the Railways that have been resulting in frequent accidents and deaths of hundreds of passengers and Railway employees particularly loco pilots and track maintainers. The Railways should immediately take measures to upgrade the safety standards matching the increasing numbers of trains, their frequency, speed, load and length. Single person working of MEMU/ EMU/ DEMU etc must be withdrawn and train protection warning system has to be installed all over the Railways network.

Issued by
Tapan Sen
General Secretary

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) opines that the terms of reference 8th Central Pay Commission raise serious doubt about the very intention of the Govt aimed at furthering austerity measures detrimental to the legitimate interests/entitlements of employees and economy at large.

The Modi led Govt took almost a year to appoint the chairman and a part time member to the commission and to approve terms of reference that too with an eye on Bihar Elections while the initial announcement of CPC was made just before Delhi elections.

The much-delayed decision on the chairman and the terms of reference shall make the employees to wait for almost two years to get the benefit, if any, of the recommendations, of the commission.

The terms of reference and the inclusion of the phrases of 'unfunded noncontributory old pension','fiscal prudence and economic feasibility' etc, having its own different mis-interpretable connotations and mal-intentions under the present policy regime by this Union Govt and several State Govts, may have negative impact on the upward revision of the pay, perks, pension and others benefits the employees are entitled to.

The terms of reference in the background of the Validation Act enacted by the Union Govt as part of Finance Bill 2025 will be disastrously destructive on the pension benefits and others benefits of the Pensioners. It must be repealed forthwith as integral part of the Central Pay Commission exercise.

The Union Govt which has doled out lakhs of crores of rupees to corporate, domestic and foreign through Production Linked Incentive (PLI), Capex Incentive, Employment Linked Incentive (ELI),  Electronics Components Manufacturing Incentive and other concessions of tax cuts, and waiver of bank-loans to the corporate, is trying to curtail the entitlements and benefits of the employees.

The terms of reference may be effectively used to bring in total pension regime change to suit the interests of neo liberalism, eyeing on huge quantum of pension fund, affecting both old and future pensioners.  Having failed to persuade the employees under NPS to shift to UPS, the Union Govt has desperately come up with the obnoxious offensive terms of reference to scuttle whatever OPS is existing. The terms of reference are weaponized against the employee’s movement urging for nothing less than OPS rejecting both NPS and UPS.

CITU urges the Union Govt to amend the terms of reference to unconditionally ensure all-round upward revision of wages and other benefits and entitlements of the employees and all pensioners(to be brought under OPS) for which the Central Pay Commission is meant for, in the interests of the employees and also the national economy. 

The CITU stands with the central and state Govt employees struggles against the neo liberal austerity measures.

Tapan Sen
General Secretary

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) flays the Union Govt for not holding consultative meeting with the representatives of workers group in preparing the Govt of India response and submissions to the Second World Summit for Social Development organised by UNO at Davos of Qatar on 4-6 November 2025 and not including workers group representatives in the Indian Delegation to the Summit.

The Resolution on the 2nd World Summit for Social Development adopted on 9th June 2025 by the 113th International Labour Conference of ILO held at Geneva has a advisory to all the member states Govt's to involve the representatives of the Employers and Workers in the preparation of response and submissions to the Summit and also to include the representatives of employers and workers group in the Govt delegation to the Summit.

The 10 central trade unions including CITU have jointly written on 12th July 2025 to the Hon'ble Minister for Labour & Employment and urged for an immediate consultative meeting based on the advisory of the Resolution of 113th ILC and requested to include workers group representatives in the Indian delegation to the 2nd World Summit for Social Development.

The Modi led NDA Govt of India is deliberately not discussing with the workers groups on policy issues in spite of pointer by the central trade unions and ILO directions as per the ILC Resolution to which Govt of India is also a party as member state.

The Govt of India not holding consultative meetings with workers group representatives in framing the response and submissions to the 2nd World Summit for Social Development and excluding the workers groups representatives in the Indian Delegation to the Summit is violation of the Convention 144 - Convention on Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention 1976 which is ratified by India.

This practice of not consulting the Trade Unions is part of Modi Govts deliberate policy of not holding Indian Labour Conference and having tripartite consultations on labour issues all through the Modi Govt's rule for last 11 years.

Issued by,
Tapan Sen
General Secretary

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) denounces the revised consolidated guidelines as per the Govt correspondence dated 4.10.2025 issued by the Secretariat of the Appointments Committee of the Union cabinet to open up the management positions in Public Sector Banks, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and non-life insurance companies to private sector candidates. CITU urges the Union Govt to immediately with draw it and to uphold the public character of these national institutions to secure the economic sovereignty of the nation.

The CITU expresses its grave concern about serious threat the said guidelines poses to the security and integrity of the Public financial institutions built upon for decades with the finances of common Indian people. Further allowing private sector executives to be considered for the posts of Managing Director, Executive Director, Whole time Director and chairperson through such a consolidated guidelines of Cabinet committee is only a means of serious transgression into the constitutional powers of Parliament and pave the way for their privatization and/or utilizing those premier public sector institution for the benefit of the private corporate class at the cost of national interests and the people.

These public sector financial institutions are statutory institutions established by the statutes enacted by the Parliament exercising the sovereign will of the people through State Bank of India Act 1955; The Banking Companies (Acquisition & Transfer of Undertakings) Acts 1970 & 1980, and the LIC Act 1956 which have the established practice of recruitment to the top posts from the respective industry as a part of internal succession systems. This transparent accountable process of public recruitment shall be done away through these opening up to private players/sector leading to the cronyism.

The Modi led Union Govt, out of its desperation due to the resistance put up by the employees, workers and people’s combative movement against the privatization of public sector financial institutions, has come up with this dangerous and retrograde move to open up the top posts to private sector. This reflects the anti national pursuit of destructive restructuring of the public sector financial institutions by the BJP led dispensation just to benefit the corporates both domestic and foreign in tune with the neo liberal policies. CITU extends its support and solidarity to the employees opposing and resisting the revised consolidated guidelines to defend the public sector financial sector institutions. CITU calls upon the working class movement to strongly oppose such retrograde design of the Govt at the centre.

Issued by,
(Tapan Sen)
General Secretary.

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) expresses its deepest condolence at the passing away of veteran trade union and communist leader of West Bengal, Comrade Dipak Sarkar, who passed away on October 13, 2025, at the age of 85. He died at his home in Midnapore, West Bengal.

Born in 1940, Inspired by the legendary communist leader Sukumar Sengupta, he joined the Communist Party in the 1960s. Although he began his life as a political science professor, his dedication to the cause led him to become a full-time activist in 1985.

Comrade Sarkar joined CITU in 1970 and was instrumental in organizing road transport workers in the Midnapore district. He rose to become a prominent leader, serving as the district president for the undivided Midnapore district and, later, for the West Midnapore district for decades. He also served as a former State Secretariat member and All India Working Committee member of CITU. His immense contributions to building the road transport workers' union will be remembered always.

A frontline leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Comrade Sarkar became a member in 1966. He served as the district secretary for the undivided Midnapore district from 1992 and later for the West Midnapore district until 2015. He was also a State Secretariat member of the CPI(M) in West Bengal.

Comrade Sarkar’s political life was a testament to his unwavering commitment to the principles of the trade union and communist party. He was admired for his steadfast adherence to organizational discipline. During the turbulent times in Bengal, Comrade Sarkar's leadership and resilience were instrumental in resisting brutal violence and terror unleashed by TMC-Maoist axis in the Jangal Mahal Area of West Bengal.  His demise is a significant loss to the CITU and the democratic movement.

CITU pays its most respectful homage to Comrade Dipak Sarkar and extends its heartfelt condolences to his family and comrades.

Comrade Dipak Sarkar Amar Rahe!

Tapan Sen
General Secretary

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) strongly opposes the newly released Draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Despite repeated failures to implement various versions of the Amendment Bill since 2014, the Modi Government is again attempting to push through the same discredited exercise in the name of so called reforms. The 2025 version of the Bill, more aggressive than earlier drafts, aims to privatise, commercialise, and centralise India’s power sector. It threatens public utilities, consumer rights, federalism, and the livelihoods of lakhs of electricity workers. If implemented, it will dismantle the integrated and socially driven electricity framework built over decades, handing profitable areas to private corporations while burdening state DISCOMs with losses and social obligations.

The Bill allows multiple distribution licensees in the same area using the same public-funded network, enabling private firms to cherry-pick high-paying consumers while public DISCOMs serve low-revenue rural and domestic consumers. This will cripple public finances, destroy cross-subsidies, and increase tariffs. Smart metering, promoted by the Centre, is the technological tool for this privatisation drive.

The proposed removal of cross-subsidies within five years will cause massive losses to public utilities and push tariffs un-affordably up for poor and rural consumers. Cross-subsidy is a social necessity, not an inefficiency. Its removal will deepen inequality and distress among farmers and workers.

By promoting speculative power markets, the Bill converts electricity—a basic human necessity—into a tradable commodity. Such deregulation will lead to price volatility, unreliable supply, and the weakening of public control over energy security.

The Bill gives the Central Government sweeping powers over state energy policy, including control over state regulatory commissions and renewable targets. It is a direct assault on the federal character of the Constitution and will hit opposition-ruled states already facing fiscal stress due to biased GST and fund allocations.

Privatisation and open access will lead to large-scale job losses, contractualisation, and outsourcing. By allowing private licensees in defence zones, the Bill also jeopardises national security in the name of “ease of doing business.”

CITU reiterates that the Bill is part of a wider neoliberal strategy to hand over the entire electricity supply chain—from generation to distribution—to private monopolies. Experiences from Odisha, Delhi, and other states prove that privatisation only increases tariffs, weakens service, and causes job losses.

CITU demands immediate withdrawal of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and guarantee of electricity as a social right, not a commodity - stop all forms of privatisation and franchising in generation and distribution, protect federal powers and strengthen state utilities.

CITU calls upon all workers, farmers and people in general to unite in resistance. We will launch nationwide campaigns and coordinated actions with other trade unions and people’s movements to demand the complete withdrawal of this anti-people Bill.

Issued by:

Tapan Sen
General Secretary

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions is extremely grieved at the sudden demise of Comrade Mithilesh Singh, President of Jharkhand State Committee of CITU and a former General Council member, today on 11^th July 2025 after prolonged ailment at the age of 70 years.

Right from his early youth Comrade Mithilesh Singh had been active in organizing the working class in coal and other section of unorganized workers particularly in the North Chhotanagpur area from undivided Bihar days. He had been a frontline leader of the coal workers in both BCCL and CCL and led many militant struggles of the coal workers against privatization and also on workers’ legitimate demands. Despite his ill health he always remained active in trade union movement and used to play crucial role in strengthening CITU and unity of the working class in the field of struggle.

At his death, the working class movement, in Jharkahnd in particular, lost a senior experienced and popular leader, creating a void difficult to cover up.

CITU conveys its heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family members and comrades and pays its homage of respect to the great contribution of departed comrade to the cause of the toiling people.

RED SALUTE TO COMRADE MITHILESH SINGH……

Tapan Sen
General Secretary

More than 25 crores participate in the Strike action/Rasta Roko/Rail Roko all over the country in the formal and informal sectors, in Government, Public sector enterprises, and industrial areas. There were very large mobilisations in rural India and also at block-sub-division levels by informal sector workers, agricultural labour and farmers and other sections of common people. Participation of students and youth was quite visible in many states. The ranks and file of Samyukt Kisan Morcha and joint front of Agricultural Labour Unions played significant role in the mobilisation in rural India 

The workers and their unions in Coal, NMDC Ltd, other non-coal minerals such as iron-ore, Copper, Bauxite, Aluminium, Gold mines etc, Steel, Banks, LIC, GIC, Petroleum, Electricity, Postal, Grameen Dak Sevaks, Telecom, Atomic Energy, Cement, Port & Dock, plantations, Jute Mills Public transport, transport of various type in private sector, state government employees in various sectors/states and central govt employees in major areas like postal, income-tax, audit and others went on strike. The workers/employees in most of the Industrial areas in the country including in many MNCs joined the strike in a big way and organised processions. The defence sector employees held protest demonstrations for one hour in support of strike and joined office only after that as per their decision. The railway unions mobilised and participated in solidarity actions in. The unions in Construction, Beedi, Anganwadi, ASHA, Mid-Day Meal, and other Scheme workers, Fisheries, Domestic workers, Hawkers and vendors, Head-load workers,Home based piece rate workers and Rickshaw, Auto, Taxi were among those who participated in strike and joined Rasta Roko, Rail Roko at several places. The students, youth, women and social activists also participated in processions and dharna actions in many places. The common people supported these actions. The markets were closed at many places in response to Strike/Bandh call

There was Bandh like situation in many areas of the country like in the states of Puducherry, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand Tamilnadu, Punjab, Kerala, West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, Goa, Meghalaya, Manipur etc. Reports of Partial bandhs were also received in many segments of Rajasthan, Haryana, Telangana,Andhra Pradesh etc. There was industrial and sectoral strike held in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand & Gujarat (the news from other states are still awaited).

Workers joined the strike action en masse throughout the country bravely confronting numerous intimidating and repressive actions and threats by the administrations, both of the Centre and many states and also the employers.

The strikers expressed their anguish against the anti-national policies of the Government to favour Indian and Foreign corporates and the international finance capital as against Public Sector Undertakings, Public services as well as against the small trade and businesses.The government through its policy of National Monetisation Pipeline(NMP)has put on sale the infrastructure, the natural resources and national assets which will jeopardize the self-reliant development of the country, posing threat to its Sovereignty. High time to oppose and fight these anti national policies, the agitators opined.

The people expressed themselves against the rising inequalities in the face of unprecedented price rise of essential commodities, rising unemployment and underemployment leading to desperation, increased suicides of casual labour and the unemployed youth. 

The government has not been conducting Indian labour conference for last 10 years, violating international labour standards and continues taking decisions in contravention to the interest of labour force including attempts to impose four labour codes to favour employers in the name of 'Ease of doing Business'. 

The trade unions consider these labour codes as negation of the labour rights won over after struggle of 150 years from British Raj onwards. These codes negate our right to strike, make union registration problematic,  de-recognition of unions easy, the process of conciliation and adjudication cumbersome, winding up labour courts and  introducing tribunal for workers, overriding power to registrars to de-register unions, definition of wage being changed and the schedule of occupations for minimum wages applicability being abolished, Occupational Safety and Healthand Working Conditions code designed to put the right of safety of every worker and also rights and entitlements of workers in workplace in total jeopardy, the inspections exclusive putting the right of safety of every worker made in jeopardy, the inspections have been done away with and facilitators to facilitate employers is being brought, change in industrial code and its rule for increasing applicability-threshold from 100 to 300 would push out 70percent of industries out of the coverage of labour laws, the changes in factory act also would throw out substantial number of workforce from its coverage, giving the employers class wide discretionary powers to repress and exploit.

There is no labour protection, fixed term employment is fully devoid of labour law protection, unlimited apprenticeship and no compulsion of absorption is another way of exploitation, violation by employers being decriminalised whereas criminalization of  trade union leader on the cards, the limit of contractor licence proposed to increase from 20 to 50, outsourcing and contractorization being made normal, recruitment of sanctioned posts not being done rather there is ban on new posts creation leading to rising unemployment, trend of appointments of retirees instead of regular employment to unemployed youth etc.

The unions are asking for immediate recruitments in the sanctioned posts lying vacant in all Govt departments and PSUs, creation of more jobs in industries and services, increase in days and remuneration of MGNREGA workers and enactment of similar legislation for Urban areas. But the government is busy imposing ELI scheme to incentivise employers instead, in order to subsidise their labour cost and informalize the workforce. In Government departments and in public sector, instead of providing regular appointments for youth, the policy to recruit the retirees on the one hand and appointing fixed–term/apprentices/trainees/interns in the core jobs on the other, is being brought as witnessed in Railways, NMDC Ltd, Steel sector, teaching cadres etc. This is damaging to the growth of the country where 65 percent population is below the age of 35 years and the numbers of unemployed is maximum in the age group of 20 to 25yrs. The government is making fraudulent claims on employment and provisions of social security. The existing social security schemes are being weakened and the attempts being made to bring private players into it. 

The attack on the democratic rights as enshrined in Indian Constitution continues more vigorously by this ruling regime and now the attempt to de-franchise the migrant workers is being designed beginning with Bihar as immediate case. The misuse of constitutional bodies is rampant to suppress voices of opposition, the enactments in some states to control and criminalise mass movements is on the cards; the Public Security Bill in Maharashtra and similar enactments in the state of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh etc are the pointers. Now the attempts to snatch the citizenship is on the cards.

This is the beginning of the prolonged battle in the days to follow in the sectoral levels focussed on determined united resistance, again to culminate into a bigger national level heightened united action.

The unions in Delhi after taking out procession in industrial areas effecting strike held a public rally at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi which was addressed by National leaders of 10 Central Trade Unions Ashok Singh-INTUC, Amarjeet Kaur-AITUC, Harbhajan Singh-HMS, Tapan Sen-CITU, Rajiv Dimri-AICCTU, Lata Ben-SEWA, Chaurasia-AIUTUC, Jawahar-LPF, Dharmendra Verma-TUCC and R S Dagar-UTUC. The union leaders from ICEU and MEC, and leaders of AIKS and Agri-agriculture workers also addressed.  

The platform of Central Trade Unions and Independent Sectoral Federations and 

        INTUC                     AITUC                    HMS                     CITU                      AIUTUC

          TUCC                SEWA                     AICCTU                    LPF                   UTUC

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) denounces the re-launching of SPREE Scheme, introduction of Amnesty Scheme 2025 and reduction of damages payable by the employer as schemes decriminalising the offences under Employees State Insurance Act 1948 and curbing the legitimate rights of employees to be insured under the ESI Scheme.

The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), at its 196th meeting in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, deliberately announced these decisions and schemes focused “on promoting ease of doing business,” though the ESI Act was promulgated in 1948 for the “creation and development of a fool‑proof multi‑dimensional Social Security system.” This blatant shift in the Central Government’s approach is evident in its attempt to tamper with the Parliament‑enacted ESI Act and its statutory provisions. These schemes are being framed surreptitiously while the Social Security Code, 2020—containing similar clauses for compounding employers’ offences—remains unimplemented. CITU therefore urges ESIC to rescind the announced schemes and enforce statutory compliance by employers through strict penal actions for non‑compliance, as prescribed in the Act.

Although these schemes are loudly announced in the guise of expanding coverage, the pressing issue of extending coverage beyond the current eligibility wage limit of ₹21,000—repeatedly raised by CITU and other Central Trade Unions—has still not been resolved by the Government. This delay excludes a huge number of workers every day, even in PSUs, from the ambit of ESIC.

The Press Statement released by PIB on 27 June 2025 announced the re‑launch of the Scheme to Promote Registration of Employers/Employees (SPREE), a scheme that effectively absolves employers’ offences of non‑compliance with the ESI Act. In the name of promoting voluntary compliance, it does away with penalisation and eases the litigation burden—squarely to the benefit of employers. The scheme allows unregistered employers to register voluntarily from a date declared by them, without any liability to pay the dues accruing from the commencement of the establishment, as required by the ESI Act. The Government must disclose the amount of contribution, interest, and penalties forgone by ESIC under the first phase of the same scheme in 2016.

Under this re‑launched SPREE, the Government offers a “one‑time opportunity for unregistered employers and left‑out workers—including contractual and temporary staff.” CITU asserts that inclusion in the ESI Scheme should neither be a “one‑time opportunity” for left‑out workers nor a special offer for “contractual and temporary staff.” The Act does not tie eligibility to the permanency of employment; it is the duty of employers and the Government to ensure workers’ rights. Immediate action is therefore necessary to bring all eligible establishments and workers under the ESI Scheme instead of relying on “voluntary compliance.”

Along with SPREE, ESIC has approved the Amnesty Scheme – 2025, a one‑time dispute‑resolution window from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026—again a decriminalisation package for employers. Regional Directors are now empowered to withdraw cases without damages or interest for non‑compliance, thereby placing executive discretion above the legislative framework and reducing the scope for challenging defaulters.

The maximum rate of damages has been cut from 25 % per annum to 1 % per month on the amount payable by the employer. This effectively halves the maximum charge and is clearly designed to benefit wilfully defaulting employers. The ESI Act allows these dues to be recovered as arrears under the Land Revenue Act, yet these new schemes—mirroring the Union Government’s “Vivaad se Vishwas” and “Samasya se Samadhan” initiatives for corporate tax dues—let ESI violators go scot‑free, undermining workers’ interests.

The Corporation has also approved a pilot project to partner with “charitable hospitals,” which CITU fears will transfer ESIC funds to private hospital groups and derail efforts to build ESIC’s own dispensaries and hospitals in underserved areas, effectively outsourcing the Corporation’s statutory duty.

In short, the schemes announced at this meeting have a single purpose: to decriminalise and bail out employer groups that are wilful defaulters and responsible for the suffering—and even deaths—of millions of eligible employees. CITU demands strong legal action and full enforcement of workers’ rights, not lofty government offers.

Ease of doing business for employers is wholly incompatible with—and indeed contravenes—the basic objectives of the ESI Scheme. Accordingly, “SPREE” and the other schemes promoted by the Labour Ministry are deceptive ploys to foster non‑compliance with statutory obligations. They represent an unscrupulous attempt to push through provisions of the Social Security Code and the four Labour Codes. The working class must resist these nefarious plans by ensuring the massive success of the 9 July 2025 General Strike.

Issued by,

TAPAN SEN
General Secretary