Hyderabad: Hyderabad District Congress Committee president Syed Khalid Saifullah on Thursday demanded a labour code rollback while addressing a public meeting at Dharna Chowk after a Bharat Bandh rally.
He called for repeal or major amendments to the four Central Labour Codes. He also sought restoration of the 100-worker retrenchment protection threshold and removal of restrictions on the right to strike. The rally began at the VST Union Office in Baghlingampally and passed through Musheerabad before ending at Indira Park.
The bandh was organised by a joint platform of 10 Central trade unions and farmers’ organisations. Several senior leaders attended the programme, including TPCC president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud, Rajya Sabha MP Anil Kumar Yadav and Khairtabad DCC leader Motha Rohit Mudiraj.
Saifullah criticised the Code on Wages (2019), Industrial Relations Code (2020), Code on Social Security (2020) and Occupational Safety Code (2020). He alleged that the four laws replaced 29 earlier labour laws without adequate consultation with trade unions. According to him, the changes weakened worker protections.
Labour code rollback demand targets retrenchment and strike rules
He said raising the retrenchment approval threshold from 100 to 300 workers reduced safeguards in mid-sized establishments. He further argued that increasing the requirement for standing orders limited employee protections. Moreover, he opposed the provision mandating a 60-day strike notice across sectors, stating that it curtailed labour’s bargaining power.
The Congress leader also raised concerns over the expansion of fixed-term employment. He warned that it could increase job insecurity. With nearly 90% of India’s workforce already in the informal sector, weakening formal protections could accelerate informalisation, he said.
Saifullah reiterated the demand for tripartite consultations on labour reforms. He also sought universal social security for informal and gig workers and legal guarantees for a minimum support price for farmers. Finally, he urged continued peaceful mobilisation in support of labour and farmers’ rights.