Investment destination Gujarat tops labour unrest chart

New Delhi, Feb 25 (PTI) Gujarat witnessed the highestnumber of strikes and other forms of labour unrest in recenttimes on account of various financial and disciplinary issues,the Economic Survey said today.

The Survey said total man-days lost due to labour unrestin India has drastically declined by over 81 per cent, henceindicating an improvement of worker-management relationshipacross industries.

"The maximum incidences were recorded in the state ofGujarat. Wage and allowance, bonus, personnel, indisciplineand violence, and financial stringency were the major reasonsfor these strikes and lockouts," the Survey for 2010-11 said.

Gujarat, under its Chief Minister Narendra Modi, has beentrying to project the state as an investment-friendlydestination. Earlier this year, Modi had claimed the state wasable to attract investments to the tune of Rs 20.83 lakh crorein the two-day long ''Vibrant Gujarat Summit'' held in January.

The Survey pointed out that there existed widespreadvariations among different states and union territoriesregarding industry-wise incidences of strikes, lockouts andother forms of labour unrests.

On the overall improvement of the labour relations, thesurvey said: "Due to constant endeavour of the industrialrelations machineries of both the centre and states, theindustrial relations climate has generally remained peacefuland cordial.

The number of incidences of strikes and lockouts hasexhibited a declining trend over the past few years."

Quoting the Labour Bureau''s provisional data, the Surveysaid the total number of strikes and lockouts have declined to99 in 2010 from 349 in 2009.

"Correspondingly, the total number of man-days lost hasalso declined from 9,169,037 in 2009 to 1,699,826 in 2010," itadded.