Indian cos prefer Chinese labour: China

“They say Indian big business houses insist on Chinese workers. I am most embarrassed that I did not know this. He (Dai) mentioned Reliance. I was taken aback,” Yechury told Indian media here today.

He quoted the Chinese diplomat as saying that Chinese firms wanted their own labour because it enabled them to complete the projects in time to avoid to hefty penalties.

“We have no problems in employing Indians except that all the Indian tenders pertained to time frame and there are severe penalties” for delay,Yechury quoted Dai as saying. He referred to power project in Bengal,which was struck mid way because of labour problems.

“Our firms are saying that if this condition of time is to be met then we should take our workers. This is their argument,” Dai was quoted by Yechury.

The CPI (M) leader said it was better for Chinese companies to factor in any delay in the contracts. Calculate all factors for delays including strikes as India is a democracy,he is said to have told Dai.

Yechury said he had come to China on an invitation from Communist Party of China (CPC) to discuss party to party relations as well as to study CPC¿s own ideological innovation to keep up with the times.

“Yes,there is genuine attempt to keep up with Marxian ideology. CPC is organising series of courses to its cadre at all levels to help them cope up with ideological changes,” he said.