Left, TUs resist Banking Bills

New Delhi, Aug 6 (UNI) Three banking reforms Bills and amendments to the Right to Information (RTI) Act have become a bone of contention between the government and the Left parties.

The Left and central trade unions, including the RSS-affiliated BMS, have outrightly rejected the government's assertion that an agreement has been reached over the banking Bills and the amendments to the RTI Act.

Differences with the government still exist on these legislations, leaders of Left parties and trade unions told UNI.

The leaders of the CPI (M), CPI, RSP and trade unions CITU, AITUC and BMS said they also oppose the government's attempts to privatise the banking and pension sectors and violate the ILO Convention on labours laws ratified by India.

According to reports, the Banking Companies (Acquisition) and Transfer of Undertakings), Financial Institutions Laws (Amendment) Bill 2005 and Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2005 are set to see the light of the day with the government agreeing to the Left-backed trade unions' suggestions for changes in these Bills.

Union Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi had also made a statement recently to this effect.

Senior CPI (M) leader and polit bureau member M K Pandhe said the government should make it public whether it had accepted the trade unions' demand for ''total withdrawal'' of the banking reforms Bills, which were only aimed at increasing foreign equity in private banks and giving them voting rights in proportion to shares held.

''What we demand is there should be no removal of ten per cent cap on voting rights as we apprehend that any change in this will lead to change in the pattern of ownership,'' said Dr Pandhe.

Dr Pandhe, who is also the CITU president, said discussions were still going on the labour reforms Bill. ''The Planning Commission has set up a Working Group on amendments to basic laws. The Group in which I am also member will meet here tomorrow to discuss the Industrial Disputes Act, Bonus Act and Minimum Wages Act among other labour issues,'' he said.

CITU Secretary Tapan Sen met Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday on the issue but ''no concrete results'' emerged from the meeting.

Trade unions had observed an All-India Protest Day on July 28 against the government's proposal to hand over the Pension Fund to private companies and also against other ''anti-worker'' financial proposals.

CPI floor leader in the Lok Sabha Gurudas Dasgupta said: ''We have given some suggestions to the government. If the government accepts these, we will support the Banking Acquisition and Institutions Laws Bill. But as far as the three other banking Bills are concerend, we have not agreed to them.'' On the RTI (Amendment) Bill also there had been no agreement, Mr Dasgupta added.

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