Ministers meet union leaders to pacify protest amid Modi government's first anniversary plans

NEW DELHI: Three Union ministers of the Narendra Modi government on Friday met a dozen trade union leaders trying to pacify them, as a nationwide protest by trade unions threatens to derail the government’s first anniversary plans later this month. The three ministers included labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya, petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan and power minister Piyush Goyal.

Trade unions are planning to launch a nationwide protest and even go on strike to protest against the NDA government’s recent moves to amend various labour laws for improving ease of doing business and boosting the ‘Make in India’ initiative. A decision to go on strike will be taken by the unions on their convention scheduled on May 26, coinciding with Modi government’s one year in power.

Trade unions have been resisting several changes made to the existing labour laws besides attempting to introduce new laws, saying that the government is rushing through bills like Industrial Relations Code, Small Factories and Employees’ Provident Fund in the name of ease of doing business and boosting the ‘Make in India’ programme.