The Andhra Pradesh government will formulate a comprehensive labour policy and address lacunae in the existing labour laws, besides checking exploitation of the working class in the organised and unorganised sectors, Minister for Labour Kinjarapu Atchannaidu said here on Thursday.
He was replying to a short discussion on ‘Labour Policy in the State’ in the Legislative Council where members raised the plight of those working without minimum wages or statutory welfare benefits.
The Minister said he had been reviewing the implementation of 22 Central and four State labour laws, besides holding meetings with managements and trade unions of various industries to help resolve the issues. “Our effort is to evolve A.P. as a model in labour policy covering all industries including media and working journalists,” he added.
Mr. Atchannaidu said more than 2.2 crore workers were in the unorganised sector, and that the government was thinking of ending contract and outsourcing system. A committee has been constituted to look into the issue, the Minister said, adding that the government was trying to regularise the services of as many as 32,000 contract workers.
Noting that it was the right of workers to form trade unions, he, however, said unions and managements should resolve issues amicably. Meetings will be organised once in three months with managements and trade unions to ensure enforcement of labour laws and welfare measures, he added.
The Minister said priority would be given to establishing a major ESI hospital in Vijayawada and smaller hospitals in other industrial belts.
Earlier, CPI member P.J. Chandrasekhar said a comprehensive labour policy was needed to ensure fair wages and service conditions to the workforce in public and private sectors and added that the government should do away with the shameful contract system, as more 80 per cent of workers were under contract system.