INTUC backs budget, hits out against other unions

‘‘The Left is creating unnecessary confusion among the working class and the RSS is putting pressure on the BMS to toe that line,’’ INTUC secretary Chandidas Sinha said. Interestingly, until now INTUC leaders have been attending all joint meetings of the various trade unions. However, there is a catch. The INTUC’s post-meeting statement notes that ‘‘enhancing FDI cap to 49 per cent or below (option of a partial roll-back is open)’’ will have ‘‘no adverse impact on public sector telecom companies and the Airport Authority’’.

Sinha argued that demands to hike FDI came from private companies in all these sectors. And there is no room for apprehension that MTNL/BSNL, Airports Authority of India, Life and General Insurance in the public sector will at all be affected.

‘‘The CMP made its commitment that profit-making PSUs won’t be privatised or disinvested. It is also a fact that all these companies enjoy the credit of solvency norms of international standards and they face no threats,’’ Sinha said.

Seeking a position for itself in the ongoing negotiation, INTUC also claims that the Left and the BMS are in turn using and encouraging each other to get the FDI proposal scrapped and ‘‘sectors owing allegiance to them may go on strike’’. Hence, negotiation is the only way out is Reddy’s advice to the PM.