Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the country could not be happy if its workers were unhappy and emphasized that laws alone would not bring about the desired results in such areas.
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“I am confident that we will be able to address the challenges ahead and proceed with reforms with everyone’s consensus”, Modi said addressing the Indian Labour Conference. Modi said that he has seen poverty and does not need to take camera persons to see poverty.
Launching two schemes at the 46th Indian Labour Congress here, the prime minister said: “Changes in our labour laws will be carried out in concurrence with the trade unions”.
The prime minister said the reason why the government intended to pursue labour reforms was to simplify laws so that they benefit and recognise the talent of the workforce.
Raising the labour issues, BJP-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh president and Vice-Chairman of 46th ILC, B N Rai said that rapid economic growth should not be at the cost of the workers.
Modi’s government hopes the more consensual approach will pay dividends in the form of union support, and will help stave of a threatened national strike on September 2.
Every effort would be made to modify laws through consensus. “Or saving workers’ rights but protecting their own organisations”, he said, adding there was a need to recognise this thin line and adopt a balanced approach to change the industrial environment.
The government is trying to amend Labour Laws and will ensure outdated laws get updated.
Modi effectively articulated his willingness to work with both labour unions and industry representatives towards arriving at a consensus on contentious labour issues. Passing it would in itself be a victory and go someway to reassuring investors who are growing jittery that economic modernisation is happening more slowly than they hoped under Modi. “We are empowering labour though technology”.
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Union ministers Arun Jaitley and Bandaru Dattatreya, MoS (independent charge) labour and employment were present on the occasion. “All trade unions are unanimous on this and will remain united”. The meeting followed extensive consultations that these leaders had with an inter-ministerial team headed by the finance minister Arun Jaitley, earlier in the day.
