Work and Employment:
India Greens Party is of the belief that every citizen of India has a right to full employment with dignity and a living income; and the State must ensure fair and equitable employment opportunities to all without any discrimination on the basis of race, region, religion, caste, creed, ethnicity, gender, age, political affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, martial or civil status, family responsibilities, and union membership; and guided by the principle of equal pay for equal work. India Greens Party believes that all the people must have the right to pursue their wellbeing in conditions of freedom and dignity, economic security and equal opportunity.
In view of the above, India Greens Party shall pursue the following:
- Shall create conditions wherein India’s workforce must possess a range of skills, be highly trained and well-paid, with working conditions underpinned by a strong, comprehensive safety net and the right to collectively bargain.
- Shall create an atmosphere wherein the working people must receive fair and equitable remuneration for their work; and they — including their representatives — have the right to be involved in decisions about their work, free of intimidation; and have a right to be a member of a union, to collectively bargain, to collectively withhold labour and collectively organise in the workplace as these elements are essential to achieving a sustainable and democratic future with the help of free, independent and democratic unions.
- Shall recognise the contribution of volunteering and unpaid work to society and the economy, including the work of parents and caregivers.
- Shall ensure that every Indian worker gets the right to work in a safe and harassment-free environment and without occupational hazards.
- Shall ensure that the objectives of profitability and efficiency do not override social and ecological objectives.
- Shall create effective processes of dispute resolution, including conciliation and arbitration before an independent tribunal as they are a necessary element in any fair and effective industrial relations system.
- Shall ensure that the workplace laws provide better work-life balance, with people having more control over their working arrangements and enforceable rights to flexible working practices, balanced against the legitimate operational needs of the employer.
- Shall ensure that the workers have legal protection against working excessive hours; and the industrial relations framework and government policies promote full employment and job security.
- Shall ensure that the workplace safety has an overriding importance over all other aspects of work and workers’ compensation schemes.
- Shall prioritise rehabilitation at no charge to the injured worker and full compensation.
- Shall ensure all workers’ access to ongoing learning and training opportunities and State assistance for skills training and apprenticeships, and job search support.
India Greens Party, therefore, want:
- An industrial relations system that protects and enhances the rights of employees and workers by: (a) maintaining a legislated minimum standard for pay, annual leave and hours of work that protect all employees and workers; (b) facilitating collective agreements that are union negotiated; (c) ensuring no workers are subject to laws and regulations detrimental to their interests on the basis of the industry in which they work; (d) ensuring individual arrangements cannot be sub-standard compared with awards or collective agreements; and (e) conforming with international law, especially relevant ILO conventions.
- New and existing employees to be informed that they are entitled to join a union, and enable the provision of information about the unions responsible for the sector and industry.
- Recognition of the rights of workers to take industrial action, including the right to strike, and to advance their economic and social and environmental interests. Workers themselves are best placed to determine how such industrial action is to be approved. Workers and their unions should be protected against sanctions under non-industrial laws or common law actions when undertaking legitimate industrial activity.
- Full protection of the rights of workers to join a union and of unions to protect and enhance the rights of their members.
- Stronger right of entry provisions for unions to recruit members, inspect for and remedy breaches of occupational health and safety provisions, breaches of the relevant Act(s) and relevant awards or agreements, consult with workers and their representatives, and undertake other activities relating to strengthening workers’ organisations.
- Full protection of accrued entitlements of employees.
- Greater protection for casual, fixed-term and probationary workers and employees of small businesses, including full rights to challenge termination of employment where it is unfair. Except in exceptional circumstances, reinstatement to the original or comparable position by the employer to be the preferred remedy where desired by an employee who has been unfairly dismissed.
- Reform of industrial laws and the portability of entitlements (such as long service leave) to reflect the growth in insecure employment and the fact that people are more likely to work for multiple employers during their working lives.
- Ensure equal access to paid work based on ability and irrespective of race, region, religion, caste, creed, ethnicity, gender, age, political affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, martial or civil status, family responsibilities, union membership
- Ensure greater control for employees over their workplace arrangements to allow for a better balance between work and family, social and community involvement. Workplace practices must be family and carer friendly.
- Ensure repeal of any independent contractors legislation that strips employment rights from individuals.
- Ensure improved minimum employment standards for trainees and apprentices.
- Ensure reinstitution of a public owned employment service.
- Ensure abolition or opposition of any building and construction industry laws or codes that undermine working people’s collective and human rights, and the complete removal of any coercive powers over workers. One set of laws should apply equally to all workers.
- Ensure incentives for workplace childcare facilities.
- Ensure a national paid parental leave scheme.
- Ensure legislated minimum of five weeks annual leave for all employees.
- Ensure introduction of strong, nationally consistent workplace health and safety laws.
