Indian trade unions seek job guarantee against stimulus

New Delhi, Feb 18 (PTI) In the wake of over 3 million
people losing jobs following global economic downturn, Indian
trade unions Wednesday demanded that the government seeks
guaranteed job protection from industries who are receiving
relief or concessions.

"The government is announcing crores of rupees in
concession to industries without placing any precondition that
labour will not be retrenched or laid-off and that there will
be no reduced work days or wage cuts," said Communist Party of
India (CPI) MP and All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC)
General Secretary Gurudas Dasgupta.

"Concessions to industries in the form of bank loans,
subsidies and tax concessions must be preceded by clear
assurance that there will be no retrenchment, postponement of
new recruitment and lay offs or wage cuts," he added.

More than 3,000 workers from all segments like banks,
insurance, defence production, aanganwadi workers,
agricultural workers and others came together at a rally at
Ram Lila maidan here and then marched to Parliament to press
their demand.

"The purchasing power of the 100 crore population must
be improved by creating more jobs and increased thrust on
public investment for social infrastructure projects in
education, health, power, road, irrigation and waterways must
be given," said AITUC President Krishna Chakraborty.

The unions also demanded that the government must take
measures to explore domestic growth while looking for
expanding exports, as it is the domestic sector that cushioned
the effect of an economic slowdown.

They also sought universal coverage of the NREGS by
removing rural-urban divide from the scheme and creation of
more jobs in labour intensive sectors like textile and
agriculture.

A delegation, led by Dasgupta, will meet Minister of
External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee and place before him a
memorandum of demands raised by the unions. PTI DEY
SAK