Photo: V. Sudershan

FOR RESOLVING ISSUES: Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes after assuming office in New Delhi on Thursday.

NEW DELHI: Union Minister of State for Labour (Independent charge) Oscar Fernandes on Thursday promised a "proper dialogue" on labour reforms with all stakeholders.

Talking to reporters after assuming office here, Mr. Fernandes said the Government would not have any problem in dealing with issues raised by the Left parties, including those of labour law reforms, violation of labour laws and increase in the Employees Provident Fund interest rate. He said a date for holding a tripartite meeting to discuss the issues would be fixed shortly.

The Left parties and their trade unions have been agitating on issues such as banking reforms, delay in bringing in a bill to grant social security to unorganised workers and change of the government's approach towards labour issues in the Eleventh Plan.

Unorganised workers

Asked whether the long-awaited umbrella legislation for providing social security cover to nearly 40 crore unorganised workers, who constitute 97 per cent of the country's total workforce, would be introduced in the winter session of Parliament, he said the Bill was in the pipeline and he remained hopeful.

On the issue of falling EPF interest rate, Mr. Fernandes said he would study the position and find out what could be done to protect the interest of workers.

He said the Central Board of Trustees of the Employees Provident Fund would meet early next month to discuss the interest rate and investment of the EPF deposits in the markets as directed by the Union Finance Ministry.

Asked how he proposed to carry out labour reforms in the Special Economic Zones (SEZs), the Minister said he would have a discussion with all political parties and trade unions.

Mr. Fernandes said his duty would be to fulfil Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's assurances on social security measures.

The unskilled workers would be provided technical education so that they could earn more.

Regarding the implementation of the ban on child labour, he said the Ministry was monitoring the enforcement of the law with the State Governments.

Independent charge

Mr. Fernandes was Minister of State (Independent Charge) without portfolio before his present assignment. Earlier he served as Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. Mr. Fernandes entered the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1980.

He was subsequently elected to 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th Lok Sabhas. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 1998 and re-elected in July 2004.

He also served as Parliamentary Secretary to the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

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