Differences crop up among central trade unions over strike

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 29

Sharp differences have cropped among central trade unions as regards their support to the September 2 all-India strike of workers against the NDA government. The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), close to the BJP, announced to withdraw its support to the strike today.

BMS general secretary Virjesh Upadhya said the BMS had deferred its agitation because the government had acceded to some of their demands and assured to consider the remaining.

Eleven trade unions, including the BMS, had submitted a charter of 12 demands to the NDA government. In fact, they had been on the warpath since 2009 while the UPA government was in power. The number of demands was 10 at that time. The demands of scrapping the proposed amendments to labour laws and the Road Transport and Safety Bill were added to the list after the Modi government came to power. The spectrum comprised all central trade unions, namely the BMS, AITUC, INTUC, CITU, AIUTUCC, UTUC , AICCTUC, TUC, SEWA, HMS and the LPF.

Reacting to the BMS volte face, AITUC general secretary and CPI stalwart Gurudas Dasgupta said it would have no impact on the workers’ movement. The strike would be intensified if the government did not pay heed to their demands. “The strike is on September 2. We are not adverse to talks with the government, should it choose so, before the deadline,” Dasgupta said.

Dasgupta said the government had constituted a five-member inter-ministerial group headed by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to consider their demands. Jaitley held talks with union leaders on August 26-27, but nothing concrete resulted.

He alleged the government wanted to privatise public transport and remove 70 per cent of the labour class by changing laws.

The BMS claimed that during meetings with Jaitley, the government had agreed to their demand relating to increase in minimum wages. This would be according to a formula based on Supreme Court’s guidelines, recommendations of the Labour Commission and Indian Labour Conference. The same formula will be applicable in states.

It said the government had also agreed to increase the bonus ceiling from the present Rs 3,500-6,500 to 10,000-21,000. Scheme workers and those in the unorganised sector would be brought in the ambit of social security cover via EPF and ESI. The minimum wages would also be applicable to contract workers and those in the industry. The government also assured to amend labour laws after taking unions and other stakeholders on board, it added.

“The government has to make changes in laws to implement its commitments. Hence, it needed time, for which the BMS has deferred its call for a strike,” the BMS said.