Ensure labour laws in special economic zones: Citu to PM
Citu on Monday sought prime minister Manmohan Singh’s intervention to ensure that labour laws are not bypassed in SEZs.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: After the CPM, its trade union wing is now infuriated with the Empowered Group of Ministers’ recommendations on SEZs. Citu on Monday sought prime minister Manmohan Singh’s intervention to ensure that labour laws are not bypassed in SEZs.
In a letter to Mr Singh, CPM polit bureau member and Citu leader M K Pandhe said the EGoM had “totally glossed over” labour related issues in SEZs. The labour related clauses, originally proposed in the bill providing for power to state and central governments to exempt the units in SEZ from the purview of operation of various labour laws, had been dropped and later incorporated wherein the state government was asked to delegate power to the development commissioner and declare SEZ as public utility service under Industrial Disputes Act.
Mr Pandhe said delegation of power to the development commissioner as a grievance redressal officer on labour related issues was found “incompatible” by the ILO in response to complaints on violation of labour laws in Visakhapatnam Export Processing Zone. The Citu had approached the committee on subordinate legislation seeking deletion of “anti-labour” rules which are not in line with the Act.
“I am therefore shocked that even before giving the opportunity to parliamentary committees to give their recommendations, the EGoM has decided it fit to lift the current freeze on SEZs,” Mr Pandhe said and asked the prime minister to ensure that no SEZ is allowed to function by bypassing the state labour department in any form.
He said the central trade unions would fight any dilution of existing labour laws in SEZs through delegation of powers to the development commissioner, especially in the background of EGoMs and changing land acquisition rules to “create a state within a state.”
In a letter to Mr Singh, CPM polit bureau member and Citu leader M K Pandhe said the EGoM had “totally glossed over” labour related issues in SEZs. The labour related clauses, originally proposed in the bill providing for power to state and central governments to exempt the units in SEZ from the purview of operation of various labour laws, had been dropped and later incorporated wherein the state government was asked to delegate power to the development commissioner and declare SEZ as public utility service under Industrial Disputes Act.
Mr Pandhe said delegation of power to the development commissioner as a grievance redressal officer on labour related issues was found “incompatible” by the ILO in response to complaints on violation of labour laws in Visakhapatnam Export Processing Zone. The Citu had approached the committee on subordinate legislation seeking deletion of “anti-labour” rules which are not in line with the Act.
“I am therefore shocked that even before giving the opportunity to parliamentary committees to give their recommendations, the EGoM has decided it fit to lift the current freeze on SEZs,” Mr Pandhe said and asked the prime minister to ensure that no SEZ is allowed to function by bypassing the state labour department in any form.
He said the central trade unions would fight any dilution of existing labour laws in SEZs through delegation of powers to the development commissioner, especially in the background of EGoMs and changing land acquisition rules to “create a state within a state.”
Download
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
Download
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
ADVERTISEMENT
