Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for a change of heart among trade unions and said it is essential for Indian society to develop a consciousness towards “dignity of labour”, even as his meeting with trade union leaders on Sunday drew a blank.
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Modi will inaugurate the Indian Labour Conference on Monday. Modi said that he has seen poverty and does not need to take camera persons to see poverty.
After an hour-long meeting with the Prime Minister, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) general secretary Gurudas Dasgupta said, “They listened to us”.
Observing that country can not remain happy if labourers are unhappy, Modi said, they contribute immensely for nation building and businesses can not run properly in absence of cordial relation between workers and employers. The BMS has demanded that the industry-friendly Factories Act enacted by the BJP government in Rajasthan and the new labour laws by the Centre be withdrawn. “I am confident that we will be able to address the challenges ahead & proceed with reforms with everyone ” s consensus”, Modi said.
“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 laws”, an official statement said.
In an apparent push for reforms in the sector to make it easier for companies to do business, he also spoke of the need to “modify laws by adding some and scrapping some” to improve productivity.
However, the president of the RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, B.N. Rai, criticised the government over a “few wrong policies” and asserted that they would not allow any reforms at the cost of labour.
Though he did not mention specific issues confronting the 4.67 crore organised work force, the NDA government seems to be supportive of labour unions push for higher pension payout, minimum wages, social security and revival of sick state-run industrial units.
We are concerned about the health of our labour.
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Before the session with Modi, the union representatives met Jaitley and other members of an inter-ministerial group that the Prime Minister had set up in May. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was the guest of honour. “All trade unions are unanimous on this and will remain united”.
