Economic Survey: Investment destination Gujarat tops labour unrest chart

NEW DELHI: Gujarat witnessed the highest number of strikes and other forms of labour unrest in recent times on account of various financial and disciplinary issues, the Economic Survey said on Friday.

The Survey said total man-days lost due to labour unrest in India has drastically declined by over 81 per cent, hence indicating an improvement of worker-management relationship across industries.

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

Gujarat, under its Chief Minister Narendra Modi, has been trying to project the state as an investment-friendly destination. Earlier this year, Modi had claimed the state was able to attract investments to the tune of Rs 20.83 lakh crore in the two-day long 'Vibrant Gujarat Summit' held in January.

The Survey pointed out that there existed widespread variations among different states and union territories regarding industry-wise incidences of strikes, lockouts and other forms of labour unrests.

On the overall improvement of the labour relations, the survey said: "Due to constant endeavour of the industrial relations machineries of both the centre and states, the industrial relations climate has generally remained peaceful and cordial.

The number of incidences of strikes and lockouts has exhibited a declining trend over the past few years." Quoting the Labour Bureau's provisional data, the Survey said the total number of strikes and lockouts have declined to 99 in 2010 from 349 in 2009.

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