AICCTU Stages Statewide Protest at Freedom Park, Demand ₹42,000 Minimum Wage and End to Contract Labour

Karnataka Workers Stage Mass Protest, Demand Repeal of New Labour Codes

BENGALURU – Thousands of workers from across Karnataka converged at Freedom Park on Thursday, voicing fierce opposition to the newly implemented federal labour laws and demanding a minimum wage of ₹42,000, permanent employment status, and the abolition of the contract labour system.

The protest, organised by the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), culminated in the symbolic burning of the four Labour Codes and the submission of a memorandum to the office of the Assistant Labour Commissioner.

A “Blow to Workers” and Corporate “Loot”

The central point of contention is the enforcement, on November 21, 2025, of four comprehensive Labour Codes that consolidate and replace 29 existing labour laws. Union leaders decried the move as a unilateral act that undermines workers’ rights.

“Without any prior notice, public discussion, or consultation with trade unions, the Central Government suddenly enforced the four Labour Codes—thereby delivering a huge blow to workers,” said AICCTU National Vice President Clifton D’Rozario, addressing the gathering.

D’Rozario framed the codes as policies designed to benefit corporate interests at the expense of the labour force. “These new Codes will lead to the elimination of workers’ rights, wage reduction, loss of social security, destruction of freedom of association, and increased job insecurity,” he stated. “Therefore, these Codes must be withdrawn.”

Wage Cuts and an “Erosion of Rights”

Speakers at the protest alleged that the government’s claims of improving worker welfare are deceptive. AICCTU State President P.P. Appanna challenged the narrative that the Code on Wages increases earnings.

“The claim that the minimum wage has been increased under the Code on Wages is completely false,” Appanna asserted. “Because of the concept of a national floor wage, current minimum wages will drastically fall. Workers’ monthly minimum wages will reduce from ₹27,613 to ₹19,154.”

He further argued that the Code on Social Security creates a two-tiered system, leaving gig and unorganised sector workers vulnerable. “For them, there is only ‘registration’; the Codes do not provide PF, ESI, insurance, or other mandatory rights. This divides workers into two classes—those with rights and those without,” he alleged.

Assault on Collective Power and Job Security

AICCTU State Secretary Maitreyi Krishnan highlighted how the new laws curtail workers’ ability to organise and protest. “By making a 14-day prior strike notice compulsory in all sectors, the right to strike has been directly attacked,” Krishnan said.

She also pointed to increased powers for regulatory bodies to cancel union registration, arguing it tilts the balance of power overwhelmingly in favour of employers. “Workers have already lost minimum wages, job security, and constitutional rights. They will now be pushed into unemployment, hunger, and poverty,” she warned. “The government’s claim that workers have been given more strength is the opposite of the truth.”

The Human Cost of the Contract System

Beyond the codes, protesters demanded the eradication of the contract labour system, which they labelled a form of “neo-casteism.” D’Rozario cited the plight of workers from the Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd., essential for state irrigation but all employed on a contract basis.

He framed the struggle as a battle for dignity against a government that prioritises employers. “The Modi government claims that employers are superior, and therefore workers must be grateful to them and should not demand their rights. They are saying workers must live like slaves. We cannot accept this,” he asserted.

Citing rising costs of living, D’Rozario justified the demand for a ₹42,000 minimum wage as “absolutely essential for a dignified life.” He urged the state government to follow the ‘pourakarmika model’—which transitioned sanitation workers to direct payroll—for all contract workers.

The protest saw participation from workers in various sectors, including ITI and sanitation, signalling a broad-based discontent that union leaders vow to channel into a sustained movement against the new legal framework.