M. Shanmugam, General Secretary of the Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), a workers’ union affiliated to the DMK, has written to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin urging him to enact the State’s own labour laws.

In his letter, Mr. Shanmugam said the scope of the recently constituted High Level Committee on State Autonomy on Centre – State relations could be expanded to include the ongoing labour issues.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has passed four labour codes — Code on Wages, Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Code on Social Security, and Code on Industrial relations. These codes have subsumed 29 labour laws including the Industrial Disputes Act, and Factories Act, among others, he pointed out in his letter dated April 30.

Though the Union government has framed the Central rules for these codes, since “labour” was a concurrent subject, the States also have to frame and notify the rules. Only then, these Codes could be implemented. Non-BJP ruled States have decided not to notify the rules, since the trade unions have opposed the Codes, as they were against the interests of the working class, Mr. Shanmugam added.

To provide support to the workers and to fill the vacuum created due to the impasse of these Codes, Tamil Nadu should enact its own labour welfare laws, he demanded. It can enact separate labour welfare laws with respect to wages, industrial relations, occupational safety etc., Mr. Shanmugam said.