The Government on Wednesday met trade union representatives to discuss their charter of demands which included abolition of contractual employment and a minimum wage of Rs 10,000, but no resolution was in sight on the issues.
The meeting came in the wake of the trade unions observing a two-day general strike in February to press for implementation of their 10-point demands, and the Government setting up a Group of Ministers under Defence Minister AK Antony to look into these.
“Nothing transpired in the meeting. We asked for concrete action but all the time they (the GoM) kept saying that things are under consideration,” said general secretary of Centre of Indian Trade Unions Tapan Sen, who attended the meeting.
Apart from Antony, the GoM comprised Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge. Officials in the labour Ministry said the trade unions briefed the GoM about their demands at the meeting but there was no development.