Kerala favours a development policy that has a pro-worker perspective, Minister for Labour V. Sivankutty has said.
‘Labour Conclave 2025’ that will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the State capital on Friday is part of the State’s strong responses to the anti-worker policies of the Union government, a statement by the Minister ahead of the conclave on Thursday said.
The conclave, the Minister said, sought to create a resistance against Union government policies that took away States’ powers and rights. The move to implement the four Labour Codes that replace 29 laws was intended to undermine rights and protections that workers had managed to secure after many struggles. The Labour Codes paved the way for corporate greed and modern slavery though the Union government claimed these would help to increase investment and create job opportunities. Safety guidelines for industrial establishments had been simplified and wage provisions watered down to increase the uncertainty in the labour sector.
Besides building up resistance against the Labour Codes, the conclave sought to come up with strategies to counter Union government laws and announce a policy to protect the State’s labour culture.
Instead of seeing workers merely as resources, they should been as protectors of the States, the Minister said in the statement.
Published – December 18, 2025 09:12 pm IST
