PM for consensus on labour reforms
21 July 2015 7:10 AM IST
Addressing the 46th Indian Labour Conference, he said there is a thin line that separates the interest of workers and their unions and the same should be respected.
"Efforts would be made to modify labour laws through consensus," the Prime Minister said, adding that the consultation process with trade unions would continue. Modi further said that the "obsolete and unnecessary" laws were being weeded out as part of the government's objective to achieve "minimum government and maximum governance".
The government has set up a high-level inter-ministerial committee under Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to evolve a consensus on labour reforms. The first meet, which was held on Sunday, failed to make any substantive headway.
Talking about different interest groups, Modi said that there was a thin line dividing the interest of industry and industrialists, government and nation, and labour and labour organisations.
Often, one talks about saving the industry but ends up protecting industrialists, he said, adding that there is a need to recognise this thin line and adopt a balanced approach to the deal with the issues and change the environment.
Jaitley in his address warned of a threat to job creation if investments were blocked and appealed to the trade unions not to persist with ideas that harm economic activity.
"If we stop the fountain of investment, then employment will not increase, then economic activity will also not increase. And it becomes a threat to existing jobs," he said.
Reflecting signs of discord, National President of the BJP-affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) B N Rai attacked government for pursuing "few wrong policies" and stressed the trade unions will not allow reforms "at the cost of labour".
BMS, one of the biggest trade unions in the country, also demanded withdrawal of the industry-friendly factories Act enacted by BJP-ruled Rajasthan government as also the new labour laws by the Centre. Modi expressed concern that the number of apprentices in the country is very low and asked the industry to provide more opportunities to them to increase their numbers from 3 lakh to at least 20 lakh.
The number of apprentices in China is 2 crore, Japan - 1 crore and Germany - 30 lakh as against only 3 lakh in India, he said. "If we want to move ahead, we need to give opportunities to our youth. Giving opportunities to apprentices is the need of the hour," Modi said, adding that there is a need to focus on people who are unemployed.
Need to change functioning of employment dept: Capt Abhimanyu
The Haryana Labour and Employment Minister, Captain Abhimanyu, has said that since the main objective of the government is to generate employment and ensure livelihood, it is necessary to change the functioning of the Employment Department. It should go beyond listing the unemployed youth and providing them unemployment allowance. Addressing the 46th session of the Indian Labour Conference held under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at Vigyan Bhavan on Monday, Abhimanyu said that the department should give meaningful feedback for increasing employment opportunities. Should it not change the way it works, it would lose its very purpose and existence in the present system, he added.
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