Govt-BMS meet remains inconclusive; next round on Aug 22

A meeting between the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley-led ministerial panel and Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) to discuss its demands remained inconclusive on Tuesday, a union leader said.

A total of 10 central trade unions have threatened a nationwide strike on September 2.

"Various issues were discussed. The meeting remained inconclusive," BMS general secretary Brijesh Upadhyay told reporters after the nearly three-hour long meeting in New Delhi.

He said another round of meeting will be held on August 22.

Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said he was hopeful of a positive outcome.

"We are hopeful that some positive decision will be taken on August 22," he said.

It was the first meeting of the ministerial panel with a central trade union over the 12-point charter of demands in almost a year. It had met trade unions on August 26-27, 2015.

Ten central trade unions had gone on a nationwide strike on September 2 last year over a set of demands. Earlier this year, they decided to go on strike on the same date again in view of the government's indifference to their demands.

Dattatreya said BMS presented a memorandum of demands.

The union is asking for increase in minimum wages, he said, adding that a formula with regards to contract labour was also discussed.

"We are coming out with some norms on contract labour," the minister said.

Regarding increasing minimum pension of Rs 1,000, he said the government is already providing Rs 900 crore towards it.

Among other things, trade unions are demanding minimum monthly wage of Rs 18,000, minimum assured pension of Rs 3,000 and no foreign direct investments in sectors like the railways, defence and insurance.

BMS has strongly condemned the callous delay and neglecting attitude of the government in not fulfilling the promises on demands raised by the joint forum of central trade unions.

The promises were made by both Labour Minister and Labour Secretary in August last year as a follow-up to the decisions taken by the ministerial group headed by Jaitley, which was formed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BMS had said in a statement.

After a meeting of its central working committee in Bhopal last week, BMS had said it has decided to take strongest action, including strike.