Dignity of labour very important: Modi

Describing dignity of labour as "very important", Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said his government was working for the betterment of the "shramyogis" (working class).

"Dignity of labour is very important," he said while addressing the 'Shramyogi Kalyan Mela' in 20 locations across Gujarat through a video conference from his Lok Sabha constituency.

Drawing inspiration from the 'Shramev Jayate' vision of the central government, the Gujarat government launched several welfare schemes for workers of the unorganised sector as part of its activities on Good Governance Day, said an official statement.

Among the initiatives was U-WIN - Unorganised Sector Identification Number - that would enable workers to avail the benefits of such schemes, said the statement.

Congratulating the Gujarat government for these initiatives, Modi said other states could follow suit.

"(My) government is going to the 'Shramyogi' and working for them. I congratulate the Gujarat government for this initiative," Modi said.

"Only when the states are strong will the nation become strong."

Rural Labour Commissionerates and Rural Labour Welfare Boards were two other initiatives of the state government that earned Modi's appreciation.

The prime minister also praised the workers, saying the state had zero man-days as all stakeholders had followed the Gandhian spirit of working as a family.

He said this was one of the reasons that the state was receiving large amounts of foreign investment.