The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : CPI(M) reiterates stand on flexible labour laws

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 10, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

CPI(M) reiterates stand on flexible labour laws

Special Correspondent

"Most of the workers are in the unorganised sector"

CHENNAI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday reiterated its opposition to any attempt to make the labour laws flexible.

Addressing the inaugural session of an all-India conference of the Income Tax Employees Federation, CPI(M) floor leader in the Lok Sabha Basudeb Acharia said of the total workforce of 40 crore, only 2.5 crore was in the organised sector governed by the labour laws. Most of the workers were in the unorganised sector, which did not have any laws. There was no adequate social security system for them either.

Though there were nearly a dozen labour laws for the organised sector, they were "blatantly violated." Under these circumstances, he wondered whether the idea of having flexibility in the labour laws meant that "multinational companies should be allowed to violate the laws and nothing can be done about it." He also asked in what way the laws hampered the country's development. Mr. Acharia questioned whether the economic reforms, launched in 1991, had eliminated poverty and unemployment.

The Marxist leader said his party was not against foreign direct investment if it helped to increase production and productivity, generate employment and bring in new technologies.

Inaugurating the conference, Member (Personnel), Central Board of Direct Taxes, Baljit Matiyani, said it had been decided to reduce outsourcing of functions of the Income Tax Department by providing training to the staff. She hoped the Department would not have to outsource any of its functions shortly. She called for maximising revenue collections.

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