Buddhadeb asks TUs to change mindset,consensus on labour reforms

Kolkata, Sept 22 (UNI) West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee today urged trade unions to change their agitational "mindset" and said consensus among the Centre, trade unions and the corporates were required for labour reforms.

" I am trying to change the mindset of the trade unions... What happened in Honda plant in Haryana will not happen in West Bengal, " Mr Bhattacharjee said during an interactive session with business captains at CII-sponsored meet.

He also asked the trade unions to look at the quality of production and not concentrate only on agitation.

" However, hire-and-fire policy will not help (the workforce) and the government, the trade unions and the corporates should come at a consensus over labour reforms, " he said.

" The union government has made a draft over labour reforms but it is not sufficient and the three parties should reach a consensus over labour reforms, " he emphasised.

He also called upon the Centre to have a clear Special Economic Zone (SEZ) policy so that industry could be given incentives rather than SEZ becoming real estate projects.

Regarding disinvestment of public sector units, he said the Navratnas should not be touched as they were the backbone of the economy. '' There are other ways of raising funds like unearthing of black money, '' he added.

The Chief Minister said agricultural success in West Bengal needed to be replicated in the industry and his government was preparing a 'land bank' for a clear policy on acquisition of land for industrial projects.

UNI TJP SJC/src1840