RSS-affiliated labour union flays Centre, demands white paper on FDI

Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh has demanded the issuance of a white paper on the FDI receipt in recent years and the employment opportunities thus generated

RSS-affiliated labour union Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), on Tuesday flayed the government for its alleged dependence on the foreign direct investment (FDI) to address the trade and economic challenges.

Castigating the Central and state governments for their ‘anti-labour’ policies, BMS has demanded the issuance of a white paper on the FDI receipt in recent years and the employment opportunities thus generated.

BMS had organised a massive rally at Manyawar Kanshiram Eco Garden in Lucknow to highlight labour issues and warn the government against continuing with the purported anti-labour and pro-industry employment stance.

BMS national general secretary Virjesh Upadhyay alleged that the government had been tinkering with the labour policies under the pressure of domestic and foreign capitalists.

"The labour department has effectively put manufacturing units out of bounds for inspections, thereby allowing the exploitation of workers," he underlined while criticising the provision of fixed term contract employment in the country, which he termed as arbitrary and detrimental to the workers’ interests.

Meanwhile, he warned if the “exploitation” of labour did not stop, BMS would be forced to launch a stir from street to Parliament, apart from mobilising the support as a mass movement.

In his address, regional organisational secretary Pawan Kumar claimed the government was apathetic towards the demands pertaining to labour welfare and had not even implemented the Supreme Court observation on ‘equal work, equal pay’.

“The contract labour model has proliferated in Uttar Pradesh and now touched almost 67 per cent, spanning the government departments, corporations and the private sector companies. These contractual workers are devoid of any social security cover, including provident fund and medical facilities,” he added.

He further demanded the government should immediately scrap the policy of selling off public sector enterprises, while employees covered under the provident fund be paid a minimum of Rs 5,000 pension after linking it with dearness allowance.

“When current chief minister Yogi Adityanath was a Parliamentarian, he had written a letter to the then prime minister on May 21, 2013 demanding the restoration of the old pension scheme. Now, he can at least implement the same in his state,” Kumar noted.

Besides, BMS has urged the Adityanath government to restart closed sugar mills in UP to create fresh job opportunities even as he alleged the labour departments were hand in glove with industrialists for exploiting workers.

According to estimates, there are about 15,000 industrial units employing more than 25 workers. The Adityanath government after coming to power in March 2017 has amended about a dozen labour laws. Among the most prominent changes effected is the raised ceiling from 100 workers to 300 workers for a sick enterprise to exit without seeking a certificate from the labour department, but the company is mandated to ensure that all statutory dues of workers had been settled in entirety.