Trade unions voice spilt opinions on budget; AITUC slams it, while BMS hails

Trade unions Friday voiced split opinions on the interim budget 2019-20; while the AITUC slammed the budget, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) hailed it.

The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) Friday slammed the interim budget 2019-20, saying majority of the people falling under unorganised sector will be left out of the pension scheme.

However, RSS-affiliate trade union BMS hailed the budget as those earning up to Rs 5 lakh per year have been exempted from tax.

"It is a great relief to the salaried employees who constitute the major part of the middle class and is most welcome," said Saji Narayanan, National President, BMS.

AITUC said, the BJP-led NDA government is making a cruel joke and has once again attempted to throw "jumlas" on the face of the people of India through the interim budget.

"The announcements made are with forthcoming elections in mind, just throwing statistics without any basis," AITUC said.

Those covered under EPF in India should be around 10 crore workers who are not fully registered and hence all of them are not covered, the trade union body said.

"There is nothing in the budget for about 35 crore of unorganised sector workers other than the 10 crore workers who are covered under EPF," it added.

While BMS said that the hike in income tax limit was a long pending demand and the enhancement of tax deduction at source (TDS) threshold by Rs 10,000 will be highly beneficial to those especially in old age and those who mainly depend on saving deposits.

BMS said the Rs 6,000 relief to farmers in distress is a big relief, which the AITUC countered saying it is a cruel joke on the marginal farmers which means handing out Rs 17 per family per day.

"The rural landless poor who work in the fields and related agricultural activities have been offered nothing," AITUC said.