Dilute labour laws at your own peril, Left warns Centre

New Delhi, June 20 (UNI) The Left parties today warned that if the UPA government wanted to continue to rule at the Centre it must refrain from touching the vital sector of labour laws and said any "overhauling" of labour laws was not acceptable to them.

The top leaders of the CPI, CPI(M) and RSP said categorically that they are in no mood even to consider the Planning Commission's proposal to radically overhaul the labour laws and its advocacy of applying China or Korea models to increase employment opportunities and increase the GDP.

Besides the manpower could not be left to the mercy of the capitalists," aided" by the government, to squeeze and deny them of reasonable wages and congenial working conditions, they said. All over the world the concept of the Corporate is to grab the fruits of labour and to maximise the profits, they added.

CPI leaders A B Bardhan and Shamim Faizi said categorically ''If the Manmohan Singh government wants to continue its rule at the Centre, it must not touch this vital sector. Economic reforms, whether of the first or the second generation can not be allowed to increase unemployment and deepening of poverty.'' The Left's comments assume special significance in the backdrop of the UPA government's insistence on carrying forward the second generation reforms and the Planning Commission's proposal to usher in flexible labour laws regime to attract investors and gladden industry.

The proposal has been made in the context of the 11th Plan's ambitious target of sustaining 9.5 per cent growth by emulating the examples set by China and Korea.

Mr Bardhan and Mr Faizi asserted that if the ''flexible labour laws meant the curtailment of hard earned labour rights, it is not acceptable.'' They argued that actually what was being demanded is the right to 'hire and fire', which would leave the working people at the mercy of employers.

CPI(M) Floor leader in the Lok Sabha Basudeb Acharia, endorsing Mr Bardhan and Mr Faizi's viewpoint, said the Left did not agree with the common presumption that the changed labour laws would help rapid growth, increased production and productivity.

''What do the workers gain in private sector units opting for productivity linked wages and bonus'' Mr Acharia wanted to know.

''When the workers are at the mercy of the employers, how can they gain?'' More UNI KSA RP DS1545