People's Democracy

UNORGANISED SECTOR

 Tripartite Dialogue, Resources Provision Urged

THE two-day seminar on unorganised sector, recently organised by the V V Giri National Labour Institute, NOIDA, has urged that an intensive tripartite dialogue be held before drawing up any plan of action on the recommendations of the second National Commission on Labour. This was informed to the press by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) through a statement issued by its secretariat from New Delhi on November 9. 

According to the statement, the conclusions arrived by the group on “Umbrella Legislation for the Unorganised Sector” reiterated that legislative provisions for the minimum wage must be made in the light of the recommendations of the 15th session of the Indian Labour Conference and the Supreme Court judgement in Raptakos Brett case. The seminar deplored the report of the second National Labour Commission, which was at variance with the recommendations of the study group constituted by the commission itself. The seminar was opposed to the concept of floor level wages. It insisted that a national level minimum wage must be determined and any state level minimum wage must not be below that. It was also urged that the government must approach the issues relating to the unorganised sector not merely from a welfare point of view but from the angle of regulation of employment and to guarantee a minimum earning capacity for the workers.

The seminar recommended extension of the ESI and provident fund scheme to the unorganised sector as well. The social security schemes must address health, maternity benefit, disability and old age income security concerns. There was also a unanimous view that agricultural workers must not in general be clubbed with the unorganised sector. Rather, a separate national level legislation must be enacted for the benefit of agricultural workers, covering workers in farming, horticulture, sericulture and other like sectors.

As the unorganised sector comprises 92 per cent of our working age population, both the central and state governments must contribute a proportion of their revenue, and also levy a cess from the employers, for extending the welfare and social security benefits to these workers.

According to the CITU statement, the seminar was also of the view that the central trade unions and the employers’ organisations must be equally represented on the tripartite bodies relating to the unorganised sector. Also, their participation must be ensured in the process of formulation and preparation of schemes for the benefit of unorganised workers. (INN)