BMS seeks withdrawal of fixed term notification

RSS-affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) on Wednesday criticised the government for extending fixed term employment to all sector, saying this will legalise hire and fire, while permanent jobs would vanish.

"The government should immediately withdraw the controversial new notification on 'fixed term employment' which extends it to all employments in the country," said Saji Narayanan C K, President, BMS.

The BMS said that by this notification that amends the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Central Rules, 1946, permanent employment will vanish from the industrial sector and all jobs will be converted into temporary contract works for a fixed period only.

The union said, "It is also highly objectionable that a fixed term contract can be even cancelled by the employer unilaterally by giving only two weeks' notice. None of the objections raised by the BMS was accepted by the government. Hire and fire will become the legalised rule in the labour sector. There will not be any permanent relationship between worker and industry".

Earlier this month, the government has amended the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Central Rules, 1946 to extend the facility of fixed term employment to all sectors. It was available for apparel manufacturing sector earlier.

The BMS said that creating workers who do not own their industry and without permanent commitment or relationship with the industry, will be a hazard for industrial growth.

Instead, the government should stop the increasing contractualisation in permanent jobs.

Fixed term is a new system that replaces the middle man viz contractor in a contract employment. The finance minister violated the ILO convention 144 on Trade Union Consultation, which was ratified by the Parliament, when he unilaterally declared that the fixed term employment will be implemented, BMS alleged.