Minister for Centre-states coordination in labour sector

Union Minister for Labour and Employment Santosh Kumar Gangwar on Wednesday emphasised the need for coordination between the Centre and the states for the progress of the country's labour sector.

The Minister, while inaugurating the southern region Labour Ministers meeting here, referred to a new pension scheme for 40 crore workers in the unorganised sector and said the programme could be implemented with the cooperation of the state governments.

He said the central government has also announced a new scheme which assures small shopkeepers, retail traders and the self-employed people of monthly pension after attaining the age of 60.

The Minister said quality medical care should be ensured to all the workers through ESI hospitals.

Gangwar hailed the functioning of the ESI hospitals in Kerala.

In his welcome speech, Kerala Labour and Employment Minister T P Ramakrishnan said the new wage code and the rules being brought by the central government were not in the interest of the workers, especially in the unorganised sector.

He flayed the new central wage policy which guarantees just only Rs 176 per day as the wages and said this cannot be accepted as it is totally against the slogan of need-based minimum wages.

The Kerala government, while declaring its labour policy, has said Rs 600 is the preferred minimum daily wages of workers of all sectors, Ramakrishnan said.

Labour Ministers of Telangana and Puducherry and top officials of other states attended the conference.