PRIME MINISTER TO INAUGURATE INDIAN LABOUR
CONFERENCE
The
Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee will inaugurate the Thirty
Eighth Session of the Indian Labour Conference on 28th
September, 2002 in New Delhi. The two-day Conference will discuss
the impact of globalisation on the Indian economy particularly
on employment and how to meet the challenge. The other agenda
items include social safety net, disinvestment policy of government
and problems and challenges being faced by small scale industries
and their remedies. The agenda was decided by the Standing Labour
Committee, SLC, at its meeting held on May 10, 2002 out of 9 issues
suggested by the Central Trade Unions and Employers' Organisations.
It is for the first time that the Labour Ministry invited suggestions
for inclusion in the agenda of the ILC. The ILC will also discuss
the Report of the Second National Commission on Labour in its
Plenary on the second day of the Conference. The Report was presented
to the Prime Minister on 29th June, 2002 and was made
public on September 9, 2000. It can be accessed at http://www.labour.nic.in.
The Labour Minister Dr. Sahib Singh has already initiated a Consultation
process with the social partners on the recommendations of the
Report.
While deciding the agenda, the SLC
discussed in detail the present employment scenario. Representatives
of both the Employees and Employers highlighted the importance
of skill building and training to increase employment opportunities
for the increasing workforce. The focus has to be on the unorganised
sector which has the potential to generate employment. The last
session of the ILC was also of the view that casual employment
was growing and impact of liberalisation on quality employment
would have to be tackled effectively. Moreover, the ILC called
for more attention to skill upgradation in view of widening of
income disparities. The other agenda item decided by the SLC is
the need for widening social safety net. It is seen as a big challenge
as 92% of the workforce mainly in the unorganised sector is without
any social security coverage due to absence of institutional framework
and lack of resources. The SLC also discussed the disinvestment
policy of government and recommended for further consideration
of the ILC. The meeting was told that protection of interests
of workers/employees is an integral part of the government’s disinvestment
policy aimed at systematically restructuring and reviving potentially
viable public sector undertakings and closure of those PSUs which
cannot be revived. The problems of small scale industries were
highlighted during the meeting of the SLC. It was of the view
that special attention should be given to combat high incidence
of sickness in this sector. There are about 2.53 lakh small scale
units suffering from industrial sickness or weakness.
The two day national level apex tripartite
meet of the Indian Labour Conference will be attended by the representatives
of 38 Central Ministries and Departments, all State
Governments and Union Territories and delegates of various employers’
organisations and trade unions. 18 delegates each will represent
the employers’ groups and trade unions during the two-day session.
