FM-led panel to meet BMS on Wednesday over labour issues

Ahead of the proposed nation-wide strike by trade unions next month, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley-led ministerial panel will meet RSS-affiliate Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) on Wednesday.
The meeting to discuss the 12-point charter of demands of the central trade unions (CTUs), which includes a minimum wage of Rs 18,000 per month among others, was earlier scheduled for today.
The panel had met BMS representatives on August 16 too but the talks remained inconclusive.
"The meeting was scheduled for today, but could not take place. Now it is rescheduled for Wednesday," BMS General Secretary Virjesh Upadhyay told PTI.
Government is talking exclusively with BMS over the 12-point charter of demands ahead of the proposed nation-wide strike called by 10 trade unions on September 2.

Even as the government is trying to persuade BMS to refrain from the proposed strike, as many as 10 trade unions have decided to go ahead with their call for one-day pan-India strike on September 2 citing no positive response from the government on their 12-point charter of demand.

Ten central trade unions had gone on a nation-wide strike on September 2 last year also over a set of demands. They decided to go on strike on the same date again this year alleging that government' was 'indifferent' to their demands.
The unions after the meeting of central coordination committee on August 18 decided to go ahead with the strike.

The joint declaration by central trade unions issued after the meeting stated, "It is unfortunate that during the past one year, the group of ministers appointed for discussion with CTUs (unions) on 12-point charter has not convened a single meeting, but has been only talking to BMS which has not joined the strike call."
"The CTUs condemn the move of the central government to divide the workers in the face of ongoing strike campaign and create confusion through making misleading statements..."
The ministers' panel had last met representatives of trade unions on August 26-27, 2015.