Traders' body says Modi government is 'anti-worker'

New Delhi: Leading trade union body All-India Trade Union Congress on Monday accu-sed the Modi government of being “anti-worker”, and said it will launch a 40-day nationwide campaign to amass people support to vote out the BJP in the next Lok Sabha elections.

Mr Modi has put the nation on sale and his government does not believe in any dialogue with the unions, All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) leader Amarjeet Kaur told the media here.

Miffed at the cancellation of dates of the National Labour Conference, the annual tripartite meet which was to be held in February this year, Ms Kaur alleged that the PMO had earlier agreed on dates for the conference, but cancelled it as Mr Modi was not ready to face the trade unions over the government’s labour policy.

The Modi government is anti-workers, which does not believe in any dialogue with unions, does not honour bipartite or tripartite mechanisms and considers labour laws and trade unions as hindrance to growth and development, she said.

The trade union leader also alleged that the NDA government’s “Ease of Business” is meant only to curtail workers’ rights, which is being pursued by changing labour laws and simultaneously bringing four codes in place of 44 existing labour laws in practice.

She added that after a two-day meeting of its working committee, the AITUC has decided to organise a 40-day campaign from August 9 to September 18 all over the country, which will focus on the need for ouster of “anti-worker, anti-people and anti-national” government of the RSS-BJP.

With the slogan of “Mazdoor Bachao, Desh Bachao (Save workers, save the country)” and “Janvirodhi Modi Sarkar Hatao (Oust anti-people Modi government)”, the AITUC would hold protest meetings in all states, she said.