No compromise on Pension Fund, says Dasgupta

New Delhi, Nov 19: The CPI today made it clear that it will not compromise with the Manmohan Singh government on privatisation of the Pension Fund and labour law reforms, while asking it to shun its perverted 'anti-poor, anti-worker' economic policies or face the wrath of the people.

"We hope that the sense will dawn on the UPA government and that it would not pursue labour law reforms, creating SEZs to benefit the rich and further reduce the present 8.5 rate of interest among others," CPI Floor leader in the Lok Sabha Gurudas Dasgupta told mediapersons.

At a press conference here, Mr Dasgupta, who is also the party labour wing chief, said the Left had already rejected the government proposals for privatising the Pension Fund and rationalise labour laws amending the Industrial Disputes Act wherein the factories with less than 300 workers, no labour laws including the Minimum Wages would be in force.

AITUC National secretaries- D L Sachdev and Ms Amarjeet Kaur- were also present at the press meet wherein the trade union leaders regretted that the Manmohan Singh government during its two-and-half-years had made it amply clear that it was no different from that of the NDA as for as the economic policies were concerned.

Mr Dasgupta also made a strong case for keeping the IT sector out of the purview of the essential services saying it is not like the services of the military, the CBI or the para-military forces.

Answering specific queries, the CPI leader said the Left was extending the outside support to the UPA government mainly because of two reasons- to keep the BJP out of power and the Congress not getting the majority of its own.

" But nobody including the Congress should take our support for granted.... This is an experiment. If this fails people of the country will find some other alternative," Mr Dasgupta said in response to a specific query why the Left was supporting the Manmohan Singh government if it thought that nothing concrete had been achieved during its two-and-half-years rule.

On the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act , he regretted that only 200 out of the total 600 districts had been chosen for the scheme. "What is needed is not a limited and ad hoc measure." He also deplored the continuing price rise, growing unemployment, continuing farmers' suicides, violation of labour laws and the near collapse of the Public Distribution System( PDS) and pauperisation of the people.

He dwelt on details of the the March to Parliament to be organised here on November 23 to press the demand for the passage of the two pending bills relating to social security for the 370 million unorganised workers and the agricultural workers.

Mr Dasgupta also charged both the BJP and the Congress with the diluting and weakening the institution of Parliament. He said while the BJP did not allow Parliament to conduct its business, the Congress also reduced the number of sittings.

UNI

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