“We actually do not know what the Union government wants, said Sahu, regarding Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia’s remark that the unions misunderstood the need for reforms in labour relations.

“They have not placed any formal proposal so far,” he added.

The initiative for reforms has been vehemently opposed by Left Parties since 2005, when they had supported a Congress-led government at the Centre. They maintained that such changes in the current labour laws will fail to protect interest of workers.

“We have no objection if it is ‘pure labour reforms’. But the government wants to curtail the rights of workers,” said Shyamal Chakraborty, state president of CITU, CPM’s labour arm.

Sahu said the reforms can be made by the Central government, but the state also has to change laws before enactment. “We have not received any paper on labour reforms,” he said. “Before changing laws, the proposals should be discussed in a proper forum.”

Chakraborty is confident that the UPA government will not be able to pass amendments on labour laws as the UPA is a minority in the Rajya Sabha. “We know our position is different in the second UPA regime,” said Chakraborty. “Whether they will be able to pass the Bill in the Lok Sabha will depend on the Trinamool Congress. What role the Trinamool Congress will play is not clear to us.”

Trinamool trade union leader Purnendu Bose said the government should first implement the current labour laws and then bring changes.

“But it is our stand that any move against the interest of workers will not be accepted by the party,” said Bose, a former Naxal leader whom party chief Mamata Banerjee has posted at the helm of her trade union wing.