Opposition members lean on RSS-affiliate Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh

Tribune News Service

Ravi S Singh

New Delhi, March 31

A day after the two-day national strike organised by 10 Central Trade Unions dominated by Left-leaning outfits, opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday ironically leaned on RSS-affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) to hit out at Centre for its neglect of country's labour force.

Ironically, the main opposition, Congress in the Upper House and the ideologically opposite Communist Party India (Marxist), among others, lapped up on the reported anguish of BMS over government's labour policies, to taunt and inveigh against it

In effect, the opposition benches made the BMS, the piece de resistance by default-a development the latter would hardly complain against at the mileage it got even though it was not a part of the 10 unions that had called for the two day nation- wide strike.

The BMS is avowedly opposed to anti-BJP unions for allegedly politicising labour-related issues, and using it as an instrument for political activism against the Union government. 

Hence, it charts its own course of opposition to the government on labour and kindred issues.   

During a discussion on the functioning of the Labour and Employment Ministry, the overarching theme of the opposition benches was of "rich getting richer and poor getting poorer".

Rise in unemployment, inflation and progressive marginalization of the working class were the other recurring leitmotif of the opposition members’ criticism against the government.

Digvijay Singh of Congress, and Elamaram Kareem of the CPI(M), among others, referred to reported angst of BMS, including letters by it to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to bolster their attack on the government.

"Minister you are for corporates," Singh said, referring to Union Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav, who was present in the House.

He criticized the government for jettisoning the norm of holding annual Indian Labour Conference, and tripartite meetings of employers, employees and government mandated by International Labour Convention of which India is the founding member.

He criticized the government for formulating the four Labour Codes without consulting the labour unions, which he said, was also resented by the BMS.

He said the government tried to reduce interest rate on gratuity funds from about 4.8 % to 2 % .It has reduced the interest rate on employees Provident Fund to an all time low.

Kareem said the government did not accept any recommendations of the parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour and Employment.

"Your own BMS-member of the Sangh Parivar is against your policies," Kareem said.

Prakash Javedkar raised a stout defence of the government, referring among others, the provisions of Labour Codes which provide social security to workers.

He praised launching of the ‘e-shram’ portal by the government to prepare national database of unorganized labourers on which more than 26 crore have registered themselves. 

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