Ten Central Trade
Unions demand restoration of old pension scheme, want government to convene
Indian Labour Conference; Labour Minister seeks unions’ inputs on ELI schemes;
BMS says informal sector needs help
Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya holds a meeting with trade union members on the proposed employment-linked incentive (ELI) scheme, on Wednesday (August 28, 2024). | Photo Credit: ANI
Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has agreed to hold
further discussions on the implementation of the four Labour Codes with the
Central Trade Unions, union leaders said on Wednesday. The Minister’s assurance
came during a round table meeting with the CTUs, where ten unions alleged that
the Codes are in favour of big corporations.
The meeting reflected differing priorities – while the
meeting’s agenda was to discuss the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) schemes
recently announced in the Union Budget, the ten CTUs said they had raised
concerns about the four Codes and submitted a detailed memorandum to Mr.
Mandaviya on the new Unified Pension Scheme, their demand to restore the
non-contributory Old Pension Scheme, and to convene the Indian Labour
Conference, and other issues. The meeting was also attended by Minister of
State for Labour Shobha Karandlaje.
Talking
to reporters after the meeting, Mr. Mandaviya said that detailed discussions
were held on the ELI schemes, which are projected to create two crore jobs in
the country. “We are going to implement this scheme. We need inputs and
suggestions from the CTUs on this scheme. We will use their suggestions while
implementing the scheme,” he said, noting that unions are the voice of the
workers and their insights are invaluable to shaping policies that are not only
effective but also fair and inclusive.
However, even the Sangh
Parivar-backed union, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, sought clarifications on the
ELI. BMS vice president Raj Behari Sharma, who represented the organisation in
the meeting, said that the ELI scheme is for the formal sector and asked the
Centre to do something for the informal sector, which is in trouble. “There is
huge spending for the formal sector, but the informal sector and workers in
informal sector are suffering,” he said, though he added that the ELI will be a
foolproof scheme as the subsidy will go directly to the worker and to the
Employees Provident Fund. He also complained that the discussion points were
not shared with the CTUs ahead of the meeting.
The trade unions said
the discussion was not just on ELI. “We have raised a host of issues including
the implementation of Labour Codes. The Minister said he is ready for further
discussions on Labour Codes,” All India Trade Union Congress general secretary
Amarjeet Kaur said.
“On
the issues of holding the Indian Labour Conference, non-implementation of
existing labour laws, absence of inspections to ensure decent work conditions
and guaranteeing occupational safety and health of workers, the Minister assured
that he would have regular meetings on the issues raised by the unions
including the Labour Codes for resolutions with mutual discussions,” Ms. Kaur
added.
The ten CTUs also
demanded that the Centre scrap the National Monetisation Pipeline and role back
the corporatisation of ordnance factories. “The creation of new jobs should be
priority of Government to address the unprecedented unemployment. Agnipath
scheme should be scrapped and regular recruitment to be started at the
earliest,” they said in their memorandum to the Minister.
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