Anti-labour policies of Modi govt prompted strike: Cong

Accusing the Modi government of bringing anti-labour policies like 'hire and fire', Congress said that this had prompted all major trade unions, barring BMS to give a call for a nationwide strike today.
The party's senior spokesman Ajay Maken told reporters here that the government is taking one step after another which is anti-labour and anti-poor in the guise of ushring in labour reforms.
Extending support to the nationwide strike and the charter of demands of the major trade unions, he said that in a move to help crony capitalists, the government is swiftly changing laws on contract workers to facilitate 'hire and fire' policy without paying any compensation.

He said while the unions had demanded a minimum wage of Rs 18,000, the government has agreed to give just Rs 9,100.
The party lamented that the time limit for apprenticeship has been made unlimited from one year. "This means that a youth can be made to work for less pay for years together."
He alleged that the government is "hurting" the labour movement by increasing the membership requirement for recognising a trade union from 15 per cent to 30 per cent.
Normal life in various parts of the country was partly affected today by the strike with banking, transport and coal mining being among the most impacted, while hundreds of workers were detained in Haryana, Jharkhand and West Bengal.