Trade unions concerned at job losses, disinvestment, wages

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday held pre-Budget consultations with the representatives of various Trade Unions and Labour Organisations here in connection with the forthcoming Union Budget 2020-21.

According to an official statement, during the course of meeting, representatives of trade unions and labour organisations shared their views and suggestions regarding labour and employment issues.

Discussions were held on skilling, re-skilling and up-skilling of the existing labour force, as well on quality of job creation and ensuring minimum wages for workers.

The trade unions have told the Minister that disinvestment of public sector undertakings (PSUs) is not the correct decision and is resulting job losses, according to the union leaders.

The Finance Ministry statement said the participants in the meeting aired their concerns about provision of social security to labour. They also emphasised the need for streamlining various schemes to have better results.

Experts and representatives from various trade unions gave suggestions related to skill development in labour intensive areas, alignment of skill development initiatives with cluster development, creation of a dedicated fund for skill enhancement, allocation of more funds to MGNREGA rural employment scheme and increase in the number of days of work under the programme, the statement said.

They sought legislation for various welfare schemes for permanent benefits, profiling job according to skill-sets, separate fund for revival of job creation via micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs, increase in social sector spending, unorganised sector w orkers' benefits including land less farm labourers , strengthening o f tripartite & bipartite mechanisms, consultations with TUs for finalising C ode on Safety , Industrial Relations & Social Security.

Along with the Finance Minister, the meeting was attended by the Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur, besides various Secretaries of the concerned ministries, the CBDT Chairman, Chief Economic Adviser K.V. Subramanian V.V. Giri National Labour Institute Director General H. Srinivas, and oth er senior officials of the Finance Ministry.

The participants from various labour organisations included the Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh Organising Secretary B. Surendran, All India Central Council of Trade Unions Secretary Santosh Roy, National, Federation of Indian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises President Anil Bhardwaj, and Indian National Trade Union Congress Vice President Ashok Singh, among others.

( With inputs from IANS )