Bill on unorganised workers likely in monsoon session of Parliament

New Delhi, Aug 14 (UNI) Expecting re-introduction of a bill by the Congress-led UPA government in the coming monsoon session of Parliament to woo around 40 crore unorganised workers in the country, chairman of Parlaimentary Panel on Labour and Employment today urged the governmment to make all social security schemes irrevocable.

The bill, renamed as 'The Unorganised Workers' Social Security Bill 2008', has undergone some modifications, after it was referred back to labour and Employment Ministry by Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, with certain suggestions.

In a letter to Labour and Employment Minister Oscar Fernandes, Committee Chairman S Sudhakar Reddy suggested all social security schemes to be introduced after the passage of the bill should be made "irrevocable" except for rationalising and extending their coverage.

Mr Reddy, whose CPI party was among four Left parties which withdrew support to the UPA government last month on the issue of India-US nuclear deal, also urged the government not to give up any existing social welfare scheme while introducing new ones.

The revised bill reportedly states that the existing welfare schemes for these workers can not be excluded by a government notification alone.

Stating that the Standing Committee in its informal meeting on August 11 discussed some provisions of the bill, the Chairman suggested the government to set up a national fund to institutionalising implementation of various welfare schemes for unorganised workers. Untill the setting up of the fund, government should ensure clear, self-sustainig and transparent funding procedures, he added.

More UNI SAA GT CS1758