New
Delhi: Central government has invited 11 central trade unions to discuss
tomorrow their 10-point agenda and issues relating certain amendments in labour
laws, which were opposed by them earlier.
Labour
Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, Power Minister Piyush Goyal, Oil Minister
Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha will attend
the meeting to discuss issues flagged by unions on various aspects,
particularly labour law amendments of the past, a union leader told PTI.
“The
government has invited us for discussions on our 10-point charter tomorrow in
view of national convention of central trade unions called on May 26 for direct
action,” he said.
“The
government has deputed their four ministers– Piyush Goyal, Bandaru Dattatreya,
Dharmendra Pradhan and Jayant Sinha. It is quite possible the all central trade
unions may decide to go on a strike in view of government’s unilateral labour
reforms,” he added.
The
central trade unions’ 10-point agenda includes demands like government steps to
deal with issues like price rise and unemployment.
Providing
universal social security cover for workers and stopping disinvestment of PSUs
are also part of demands.
The
union leader further said that the central trade unions have added two more
demands to their 10 points agenda– scrapping the decision to allow foreign
investment in railways and defence and “unilateral” changes in labour laws.
Unions
have been opposing certain proposed labour law amendments which encourage hire
and fire, makes it tougher to make labour unions and diluting existing social
security net available to the workers at different fora.
Under
the proposed Industrial Relations Code Bill 2015, the employers with up to 300
workers would not require government permission for retrenchment, lay off and
closure.
The
bill also makes it tougher to form trade unions in the country. It proposed
that 10 per cent of total workers would be required as applicant to register a
trade union.
It is
proposed that the minimum number applicant shall be 7 and maximum number of
applicant shall be 100. At present 7 applicants are required to register a
trade union.
PTI