SEZ labour laws: TUs for talks with Centre

ECONOMY BUREAU
Posted online: Friday, April 13, 2007 at 0110 hours IST




KOLKATA, APR 12 : Central trade unions want to have a discussion with
the Centre to settle the contentious issue of creating separate labour
laws for the special economic zones (SEZs).
The central trade unions, which were opposed to two different sets of
labour laws earlier - one for the SEZs with less rights and regulations
and the other for non-SEZs with constitutionally guaranteed rights-have
now demanded for a national convention to arrive at a consensus.

The Centre of Indian Tarde Unions (CITU) recently said it would oppose
any move on the part of the central government to delegate the power to
the development commissioner of the SEZ to manage labour isuues.

Union labour minister Oscar Fernandes on Thursday said after a
convention on employment generation organised by the Federation of
Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry here that the government has
decided not to act unilaterally. "We will talk to the state governments
and trade union bodies before taking any decision on labour laws in the
SEZs. Till then, all the existing laws will be in force in the SEZs."

All the central trade unions have opposed the move by the Centre to
dilute the exisiting labour laws.

The country's largest trade union body, Bharat Mazdoor Sabha (BMS),
which is close to the Bharatiya Janata Party's political understandings,
has said it would come up with a demand for fresh rounds of meeting on
the issue. Said Girish Awasti, presidernt of BMS, "Along with other
central trade unions, we will raise the demand for a convention during
the national trade union meet to be held from April 27-28."

Awasti said the BMS, having one crore members, was opposed to any
relaxation in labour laws.

G Sanjeeva Reddy, president of the Indian National Trade Union Congress,
the second largest trade union in the country, also favours fresh
discussions. "We will not allow dilution of working hours and the social
security system for workers inside the SEZs. There can't be two sets of
labour laws in the country."

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