Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with major trade union leaders on Sunday evening did not lead to any breakthrough in the standoff over the proposed changes in the labour and factory laws to make it easy for employers to “hire and fire” workers. The Prime Minister met the representatives of the major trade union ahead of the Indian labour Conference on Monday where Modi would deliver the inaugural speech.
After the meeting, the trade unions have decided to go ahead with nationwide strike on September 2. All major trade unions, including AITUC, CITU, INTUC and BMS, have called for the strike against the Centre’s move to dilute the labour laws and the Factories Act.
“There is no indication of any ray of hope and therefore the strike scheduled for September 2 stands,” said AITUC General Secretary Gurudas Dasgupa. CITU General Secretary Tapan Sen said there was no assurance from the Prime Minister on the issues raised by them.
“We are waiting for his speech tomorrow (Monday) in the Indian labour Conference. We have told the PM that in the name of augmenting business, labour laws can’t be diluted,” said Sen.
The leaders of 11 major trade unions, including of AITUC, CITU, INTUC and BMS, were united in raising their concerns over the Government’s move to bring amendments in labour laws to exempt factory owners and industrialists to keep mandatory registers regarding workforce. The amendments also mooted exemption of labour laws in employees below 40.
The leaders also had a meeting with inter-ministerial panel headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
The Modi Government-proposed labour reform is expected to make it easy for the employers to give pink slips to the workers. As per the proposed changes, any industry with a labour force up to 300 will not require any permission from the Government to lay off its workers.
Yet another change could exempt units employing up to 40 workers from 14 labour laws. labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said the Bill would be tabled in the Monsoon Session of parliament beginning July 21.
The Government also proposed to make it difficult for workers to form trade unions or go on strike.
labour union are opposing the proposed amendments contending that just around eight per cent of private sector workers enjoy any job protection, while the rest are already at the mercy of employers.
In Modi's meeting with trade union leaders, Union Ministers Arun Jaitely, Bandaru Dattatreya, Dharmendra Pradhan, Piyush Goyal and Jitendra Singh were also present. Trade union leaders Gurudas Dasgupta, Tapan Sen, Sanjeeva Reddy and BN Rai were some of the main trade union leaders who attended the meeting.
“The Prime Minister heard the views of the trade union leaders on various issues of interest to workers, including in areas related to economic policy and related,” the Prime Minister said in his blog.