FM holds pre-budget consultation with trade unions and labour organizations

Discussions held on skilling, re-skilling and up-skilling of existing labour force

Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman held her 5th pre-budget consultation with the representatives of various Trade Unions and Labour Organisations on 19 December 2019 in connection with the forthcoming General Budget 2020-21.

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 existing labour force. Quality of job creation and ensuring minimum wages of workers were discussed.

Along with the Union Finance Minister, the meeting was attended by Anurag Singh, Thakur, Union Minister of State for Finance & Corporate Affairs; Rajeev Kumar, Finance Secretary; Atanu Chakraborty, Secretary, DEA; Ajay Bhushan Pandey, Revenue Secretary; Pramod Chandra Mody, Chairman, CBDT; Dr K.V. Subramanian, Chief Economic Adviser; Heeralal Samariya, Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment; H. Srinivas, DG, V.V. Giri National Labour Institute and other senior officials of Ministry of Finance.

During the meeting, representatives of Trade Unions and Labour Organisations shared their views and suggestions regarding job creation, labour concerns and quality of employment issues. The participants aired their concerns about provision of social security to labour besides skilling, re-skilling and up-skilling of existing labour force. They also emphasised quality of job creation and ensuring minimum wages of workers in detail besides the need for streamlining various schemes to have better results. Experts and representatives from various Trade Unions (TUs) and Labour Organisations gave suggestions related to skill development in labour intensive areas, alignment of skill development initiatives with cluster developments, creation of dedicated fund for skill enhancement, allocation of more funds to MGNREGA scheme, increase of number of days of work under MGNREGA, legislation for various welfare schemes for permanent benefits, profiling job according to skill-sets, separate fund for revival of job creation via MSMEs, increase in social sector spending, unorganised sector workers' benefits including land less farm labourers, strengthening of tripartite & bipartite mechanisms, consultations with TUs for finalising Code on Safety, Industrial Relations & Social Security .

Participants from various labour organisations included B. Surendran, All India Organising Secretary, Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh BMS); Santosh Roy, National Secretary, All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU); Anil Bhardwaj, President, Federation of Indian Micro and Small & Medium Enterprises (FISME); Ashok Singh, Vice President, India National Trade Union Congress (INTUC); Satyawan, Member, All India Secretariat All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC); M. Shanmugam, M.P. General Secretary, Labour Progressive Federation (LPF); Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC); Swadesh Dev Roye, National Secretary, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU); Mukesh Galav, Secretary, Hind Mazdoor Sabha; Malini Shah, National Secretary, Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA); Satoshi Sasaki, Dy. Director, ILODWT for South Asia and Country Office for India; K.V. Shekhar Raju, Immediate Past National President, The Federation of Association of Small Industries of India (FASII); Sanjay Katkamar, General Secretary, Trade Union Coordination Centre (TUCC); D.L. Sharma, Managing Director, Vardhman Yarns & Threads, Arvind Francis, Assistant Secretary General, FICCI, Pawan Kumar, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) among others.

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