Dilute labour laws at your own peril, says Left

New Delhi, Jun 20: 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?''

Warning that the government and the Planning commission were out to violate the spirit of the CMP, the CPI(M) veteran said it could not be allowed in ''unilateral and arbitrary manner.'' He emphasised how the working conditions were going bad to worse in industrial units where he alleged the minimum wages were not being given, the Provident Fund was not being deposited with the Income Tax department and the overtime was not being given.

''Besides a report submitted on the floor of the Lok Sabha recently revealed that more man hours were lost due to closures and lock outs than in strikes in West Bengal,'' he said in response to a query whether the militant trade unionism had not affected the work culture in West Bengal.

CPI party group leader in the Lok Sabha Gurudas Dasgupta called the Planning Commission's projection as ''idle imagination'', divorced from the ground realities.

''Nowhere in the world the condition of the masses has improved by diluting the labour laws and eliminating the right to strike,'' he said.

Mr Dasgupta, who is also the AITUC General Secretary, held that the theory of creation of additional jobs by diluting the labour laws is highly concocted. Indeed the GDP has no relevance for more jobs.. it does not reflect the miseries and deprivation of the masses.

''In the name of flexible labour laws the government want to empower the MNCs and the domestic industry with unlimited powers whereby they can exploit the workers as they wish.. it will be indeed free for all situation,'' the veteran Left leader said.

He also refuted the Planning Commission' s proposal on the ground that even in China unemployment problem had not ceased. On the other hand economic disparities had widened.''Let us look for Indian model wihout seeking to emulate other models,'' he said.

He emphasised labour's interests had to be protected with reasonable wages and suitable working conditions. ''We are not in any mood to discuss the issue of labour laws at all. On the other hand, we are preparing for a national strike to halt the offensive of the capitalists, aided by the government.'' Mr Dasgupta said France is the latest example where millions of people took to streets to defend their labour laws and the government had to bend.

RSP Leader and Rajya Sabha MP Abani Roy wanted to know as to why the government was allowing the Planning Commission to" intervene" in the functioning of other ministries work.

''We will resist any such move and raise this at every government level. We will raise it on the floor of the Parliament, the forums of the the Standing Committee and the Ministry level meetings.''

UNI

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