Talks must with trade unions to build work environment: Sahu

Chandigarh, Apr 7 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Chandra Sekhar Sahu today said the Centre and the entrepreneurs hold discussions with trade unions and other workers' organisations to build a cordial work environment in the country.

Presiding over a conference on Social Dialogue-Labour Policy Reforms, Mr Sahu said the Union government would introduce a bill related to the labour policy reforms in the coming monsoon session of Parliament which would help not only the entrepreneurs but also safeguard the interest of the employees.

Pointing out that the workers in the unorganised sector constituted 93 per cent of the total workforce in the country, Mr Sahu said the government was ''firmly committed'' to the welfare and well-being of the workers.

In his inaugural address at the Conference, which was organised by the Council of Indian Employers, Mr Sahu said the basic requirements of the workers like reasonable wages, social security, occupational health and safety and access to vocational training needed to be addressed. ''Our past experience show that healthy, capable and contended workforce helps in realising enhanced output targets,'' he added.

The minister said the government had already taken up an ambitious programme of upgrading 500 ITIs, into 'Centres of Excellence', 100 with basic domestic assistance and 400 with World Bank's assistance so as to produce skilled world class workers.

Punjab Minister for Local Government, Labour and Employment Ch Jagjit Singh, said on the occasion that the state government had notified the self certification scheme for small industry/establishment to liberalise enforcement of various labour laws and provide self certification towards its implementation.

The main objective of this scheme was to curtail unnecessary visits of government officials for inspection those units who opted for this scheme without compromising on safety, health, social security and welfare of the workers, he said. Under this scheme inspection of units would be only once in five year, he added.

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