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We will oppose BJP's anti-labour policies, say Sangh Parivar bodies

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After red-flagging field trials of genetically-modified (GM) crops, are Sangh Parivar-led frontal organisations taking on the Narendra Modi-led BJP government over "its anti-labour policies"?
Leaders of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), a Sangh Parivar affiliate, have spoken out against against foreign direct investment (FDI) in defence, railways, telecom, banking, retail and insurance, rising inflation and disinvestment in public sector units.

BMS is also turning up the pressure on Centre for ratifying various International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions regarding rights of workers to organise and collective bargaining, minimum age for admission to employment and prohibition, and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, and decent work for domestic workers. The labour union has demanded that the minimum wage be hiked to Rs15,000.
BMS has already opposed the decision of the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government in Rajasthan to amend labour laws.

Incidentally, BMS was founded in 1955 by RSS ideologue Dattopant Thengadi, who later established Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) and Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS). SJM and BKS have sought a ban on the field trials of GM crops of certain varieties.
BMS is part of the Joint Action Forum, Maharashtra, which consists of other central trade unions AITUC, INTUC, CITU, and Hind Mazdoor Sabha, which have decided to "agitate against the anti-labour policies of the central and state governments". These unions have presented a charter of demands with 10 points to Centre, which includes curbing inflation, increasing the minimum wage, ensuring social security for unorganised sector workers and filling up vacancies in central undertakings.

While the Modi government's maiden budget saw FDI cap in the defence industry hiked to 49% from 26% to attract global players, and the railways is looking at financing the bulk of future projects through the PPP mode, including the ambitious high-speed rail system, BMS functionaries said they were opposed to it.
"We will oppose it even if there is BJP government in power at Centre. Even if we are a Sangh Parivar body, we will oppose something that is harmful. It is our duty to bring such things to the notice (of the government). It is not just BMS, other organisations are involved in this too," Annasaheb Desai, BMS president, Mumbai, told dna.

"We are not related to BJP or any political party. We work with consumers and labour as the focal point. We will welcome what will benefit them and oppose that which will not," he added.
"This is not (just) a BJP government but a national government," said BMS national vice-president Uday Patwardhan. "Democracies which... have developed and matured have upheld the right to organise," he said, adding that it was their long-pending demand to ratify ILO conventions. Patwardhan stressed on the need for workers in SEZs and IT firms to form unions, and charged that middle-level management was being exploited.

He said they had reiterated these demands to Centre and also submitted a memorandum on a 20-point programme before the budget. "Even if political power changes, the situation does not change," Patwardhan pointed out, adding that, however, they were not "opposed to FDI in a blanket manner" unlike the Left, for which it was "an article of faith". "We will decide on the basis of merit and interests of the nation," he said.
Desai said the joint action committee would agitate on lacunae in establishment of welfare boards for domestic and construction workers and privatisation in the state transport undertaking and electricity board. Desai added that despite laws meant for the welfare of domestic and construction workers, the state labour department lacked a machinery to register those who worked in these unorganised sectors.

According to the Union ministry of labour and empowerment, as per a National Sample Survey Organisation survey in 2009-10, the total employment in India was 46.5 crore comprising around 2.8 crore in the organised sector and 43.7 crore workers in the unorganised sector, including 24.6 crore workers in agriculture, 4.4 crore in construction work and remaining in manufacturing and service. There are around 44 labour-related laws and statutes enacted by Centre dealing with minimum wages and conditions of employment.

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