Buddhadeb bats for labour reforms

Kolkata, Sept 22: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee today urged the Centre, trade unions and the corporate sectors to reach a consensus over labour reforms.

''The hire-and-fire policy will not help (the workforce) and the government, the trade unions and the corporate sector should come at a consensus over labour reforms,'' he said while speaking to industry leaders at a CII meeting here.

''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.

At the same time he asked the trade unions to change their mindset and look at the quality of production and not concentrate only on agitation.

''I am trying to pursuade the trade union leaders to change their mindset, since agitations will not help in development of industry,'' he explained to industry captains.

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 a real estate project.

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 needs 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