Kerala - Kottayam   

No `feel-good factor': BMS

By Our Staff Reporter

KOTTAYAM, JAN. 17. The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) all-India organising secretary, Ohm Prakash Aghi, has contested the `feel-good factor' being propounded by the BJP leadership as a justification for the early elections.

Speaking to mediapersons here today, Mr. Aghi said the buoyancy of the economy was based on factors which were highly fickle and temporary in nature. Moreover, the labourers had nothing to feel good under the economic policy being implemented by the Central Government, he said.

Contesting the eight per cent growth rate claimed by the Central Government, the BMS leader said the question was how long could this rate be maintained.

The calculations were based on the unprecedented foreign currency reserves, he pointed out and said these reserves were mainly made up of NRI remittance which could be taken back depending on the political condition prevailing in the country. The Government was trying to make use of a temporary phase to face the electorate, he said.

To a question, Mr. Aghi stressed the need to have non-political trade unions to fight effectively the new economic policy of globalisation and liberalisation. According to him, all trade unions other than the BMS were affiliated to one or the other political parties and this situation has put bottlenecks in launching joint agitations against the new economic policies. He also reiterated the avowed position of the BMS on privatisation of public sector units and said the Government had to find another alternative to the privatisation drive.

Mr Aghi said the national conference of the Construction Mazdoor Mahasangh being held here would call for a comprehensive law for the construction labourers. Today, the various laws applicable to the construction labourers often work at cross purpose and in many cases, the labourers could not make use of these laws in their hour of need. A comprehensive law would be more effective to safeguard the interests of the labourers, he said.

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