Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Labour Minister V Sivankutty on Tuesday claimed that the Centre's policies were anti-workers and assured that the state will exert all possible pressure on the Union government to repeal the new labour codes.

Sivankutty's assurance came in response to CPM MLA P Nandakumar asking the government to urge the Centre to repeal the new codes that "violate the existing service and wage conditions and undermine job security in the labour sector of the country".

Nandakumar, the MLA from Ponnani constituency, raised the issue in the assembly.

In his response to the issue, Sivankutty said that the state government will not accept the anti-labour or anti-worker stand and policies of the Centre.

Last month, the minister had said that the state government will constitute a committee to study the central labour codes, assess their impact on workers and suggest remedial measures.

The four labour codes, enacted by consolidating 29 major labour laws, protect corporate interests rather than those of workers and are contrary to the conventions of the International Labour Organisation, Sivankutty had said.

While most states have amended their laws in line with the labour codes, Kerala has taken a firm stand that it will not introduce any anti-worker amendments, he had claimed. (PTI)