Lay-off by IT firms matter of serious concern: Dattatareya

Voicing concern over lay-offs in some IT firms, besides labour troubles in Nokia and Foxconn in Tamil Nadu, the Centre today said it will adopt "conciliatory approaches" when the issues reach them as these matters are handled by state governments.
While the IT industry had earlier provided employment opportunities to a number of students, the present trend of lay-offs by some IT firms was a matter of "serious concern", Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatareya said here.
"Labour is under the Concurrent List and whatever state government is there, wherever the state level administration is there they will look after (such issues). When it comes to my notice we will also discuss with them (all concerned) and start all conciliatory approaches and see that maximum justice was done," he said replying to questions from reporters.

Dattatareya, who earlier held a review meeting at the ESIC Hospital and College at KK Nagar here, underlined the Narendra Modi government's commitment for labour welfare.
He said a number of laws including Industrial Disputes Act were available to address such issues, adding that state governments also had the right to enact laws.
"So that is why whichever sphere comes to Central level, our conciliatory officers are there. We will ask them to intervene," he said.

The Nokia plant at Sriperumbudur has suspended operations since November last year for want of orders from Microsoft after the US corporate giant bought the Finnish handset major.

Foxconn India, a major supplier to Nokia, too suspended production from its two facilities at Sriperumbudur from December 22 following decline in orders in the wake of Nokia India halting production from the facility.
On the issue of Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) asking state governments to take over the medical colleges run by it, he said his Ministry was prepared to offer the institutions as "gift" to the states.
The Centre had written to the states, including Tamil Nadu, where such colleges were located to take over their administration, he said, adding Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka had shown positive response.

The Labour Department had set a "cut-off" date of January 31 this year regarding this issue, he said.
On the concerns raised by students of the colleges about their future, he said he had already discussed the matter with them, adding that more talks would be held in Delhi.