PSUs’ selloff out, revival package in, PM tells unions

AITUC general secretary Gurudas Dasgupta said after the PM’s three-hour meeting with top trade union leaders, “I find the Prime Minister’s speech to be very responsive to our demands.” The meeting was also attended by G. Sanjiva Reddy of INTUC, M.K. Pandhe of CITU, U.M. Purohit of BMS and Abani Roy of UTUC.

That was after the Prime Minister had praised the role of the working class as the backbone of the manufacturing sector, adding that while his government would ensure labour laws were not violated — he promised to write to all chief ministers on the issue — it was also necessary to find ways to make the manufacturing sector more vilable, create more jobs and provide for better working conditions. He also told the trade union leaders that his government was committed to securing workers’ interests under the common minimum programme. Those present at the meeting were Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Labour Minister Chandrasekhar Rao, and Heavy Industries Minister Santosh Mohan Deb.

Making a strong connection with the trade unions, he said the UPA government wanted to build a society that provided for equitable justice. “We are also working hard to see how we can provide some degree of social security to workers in the unorganised sector. We have released Rs 1,800 crore as wages and other dues to employees of loss-making PSUs,” he said.

CITU president M.K. Pandhe said, “The Prime Minister has made several promises. We have to pursue them. Also, even though we need higher investments in the manufacturing sector as the Prime Minister has said, there must be social justice.”