The labour wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, may pass a resolution in its upcoming annual conference in May demanding reforms in the functioning of the government think-tank, NITI Aayog.
The trade union criticised the body for “unilaterally imposing” policy decisions on various ministries, including disinvestment and labour reforms.
“NITI Aayog is encroaching into other ministries’ work,” BMS general-secretary Virjesh Upadhyay told The Hindu. “They are dictating the agenda on the future of public sector units, labour reforms and various other issues. They do not involve important stakeholders in their discussions.”
The BMS will be holding its 18th all India annual conference meeting in Kanpur on May 22-24 which will likely be inaugurated by Labour and Employment Minister Bandaru Dattatreya.
The union will present a resolution to about 3,000 state executive and industrial federation members demanding reforms in NITI Aayog structure, Pawan Kumar, zonal organising secretary at RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) said.
The NITI Aayog recently called for “greater flexibility in labour laws” by introducing fixed-term employment in all industries and easing compliance burden for start-up companies, in its draft three-year action agenda presented before its governing council meeting headed by the Prime Minister with all chief ministers on its board.
“There is a wonderful tripartite system working in the country which is shaped by visionary people like Dr. B.R.Ambedkar,” said Saji Narayanan, former National President, BMS and newly appointed Vice-Chairman of Standing Labour Committee. “There are about 40 tripartite bodies at national level which shape reforms in the labour system. That mechanism should not be disturbed by anybody, including NITI Aayog.”
“The NITI Aayog should consult trade unions, employers and state governments before suggesting policy changes which unfortunately it is not doing,” Mr. Narayanan said.
“The tenor of labour laws in India has been to heavily protect those workers who manage to land regular, formal-sector jobs. But overly high levels of protection simultaneously discourage employers to hire workers on a regular basis,” according to NITI Aayog’s draft agenda.
