The Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley said that skill development
would be given priority so that more and more trained workers join the Indian
economy. He said that the Government will give due consideration to the Ten
Point Joint Charter of Demands given by the Central Trade Unions while formulating
the budgetary proposals. The Finance Minister was speaking here today while
interacting with the representatives of the Central Trade Unions as part of his
Pre-Budget Consultation meetings.
Along with the Finance Minister, the meeting was attended by Ms. Nirmala
Sitharaman, Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Ratan P.
Watal, Expenditure Secretary, Shri Rajiv Takru, Revenue Secretary, Smt. Gauri
Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment and senior officers of the Ministry
of Finance among others.
The participating Central Trade Unions gave a joint memorandum to the
Finance Minister for his consideration and positive response. Some of the
specific proposals contained there in are given below:
Take effective measures to arrest the spiraling price rise and to
contain inflation; Ban speculative forward trading in commodities; universalize
and strengthen the Public Distribution System(PDS); ensure proper check on
hoarding; rationalize, with a view to reduce the burden on people, the
tax/duty/cess on petroleum products.
Massive investment in the infrastructure in order to stimulate the economy
for job creation. Public Sector should take the leading role in this regard.
The plan and non-plan expenditure should be increased in the budget to
stimulate jobs creation and guarantee consistent income to people.
Minimum wage linked to Consumer Price Index (CPI) must be guaranteed
to all workers, taking into consideration the recommendations of the 15th Indian Labour Conference . It
should not be less than Rs. 15,000/- p.m.
· FDI should not be
allowed in crucial sectors like defence production, telecommunications,
railways, financial sector, retail trade, education, health and media.
· The Public Sector
Units (PSUs) played a crucial role during the year of severe contraction of
private capital investment immediately following the outbreak of global
financial crisis. PSUs should be strengthened and expanded. Disinvestment of
shares of profit making public sector units should be stopped forthwith.
Budgetary support should be given for revival of potentially viable sick CPSUs.
· In view of huge job
losses and mounting unemployment problem, the ban on recruitment in Government
departments, PSUs and autonomous institutions (including recent Finance
Ministry’s instruction to abolish those posts not filled for one year) should
be lifted as recommended by 43rd Session of Indian Labour Conference.
Condition of surrender of posts in government departments and PSUs should be
scrapped and new posts be created keeping in view the new work and increased
workload.
· Proper allocation
of funds be made for interim relief and 7th Pay Commission.
· The scope of
MGNREGA be extended to agriculture operations and employment for minimum period
of 200 days with guaranteed statutory wage be provided, as unanimously
recommended by 43rd Session of
Indian Labour Conference.
· The massive
workforce engaged in ICDS, Mid Day Meal Scheme, Vidya volunteers, guest teachers,
Siksha Mitra, the workers engaged in the Accredited Social Health Activities
(ASHA) and other schemes be regularized. No to privatization of centrally
funded schemes. Universalization of ICDS be done as per Supreme Court
directions by making adequate budgetary allocations.
· Steps be taken for
removal of all restrictive provisions based on poverty line in respect of
eligibility coverage of the schemes under the Unorganized Workers Social
Security Act 2008 and allocation of adequate resources for the National Fund
for Unorganised Workers to provide for social security to all unorganised
workers including the contract/casual and migrant workers in line with the
recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour and also the
43rd Session of Indian Labour Conference. The word BPL redefined and
redistributed at the earliest.
· Remunerative prices
should be ensured for agricultural produce and Government investment, public
investment in agriculture sector must be substantially augmented as a proportion
of GDP and total budgetary expenditure. It should also be ensured that benefits
of the increase reach the small, marginal and medium cultivators only.
· Budgetary provision
should be made for providing essential services including housing, public
transport, sanitation, water, schools, crèche, health care etc, to workers in
the new emerging industrial areas. Working women’s Hostels should be set-up
where there is a concentration of women workers.
· Requisite budgetary
support for addressing crisis in traditional sectors like jute, textiles,
plantation, handloom, carpet and coir etc.
· Budgetary provision
for elementary education should be increased, particularly in the context of
the implementation of the ‘Right to Education’ as this is the most effective
tool to combat child labour.
· The system of
computation of Consumer Price Index (CPI) should be reviewed as the present
index is causing heavy financial loss to the workers.
· Income tax
exemption ceiling for the salaried persons should be raised to Rs. 5.00 lakh
per annum and fringe benefits like housing, medical and educational facilities
and running allowances should be exempted from income tax net in totality.
· Threshold limit of
20 employees in EPF Scheme be brought down to 10 as recommended by CBT-EPF.
Pension benefits under the EPS unilaterally withdrawn by the Government should
be restored. Government and employers contribution be increased to allow sustainability
of Employees Pension Scheme and for provision of minimum pension of Rs. 3000/-
p.m.
· New Pension Scheme
be withdrawn and newly recruited employees of Central And State Governments on
or after 1.1.2004 be covered under Old Pension Scheme;
· Demand for Dearness
Allowance merger by Central Government and PSU employees be accepted and
adequate allocation of fund for this be made in the budget.
· All interests and
social security of the domestic workers to be statutorily protected on the
lines of ILO Convention on domestic workers.
· The Cess management
of the construction workers is the responsibility of the Finance Ministry under
the Act and the several irregularities found in collection of cess be rectified
as well as their proper utilization must be ensured.
In regard to resource mobilization, the Trade Unions have emphasized on
the following:
· A progressive
taxation system should be put in place to ensure taxing the rich and the
affluent sections who have the capacity to pay at a higher degree. The
corporate service sector, traders, wholesale business, private hospitals and
institutions etc should be brought under broader and higher tax net. Increase
taxes on luxury goods and reduce indirect taxes on essential commodities.
· Concrete steps must
be taken to recover huge accumulated unpaid tax arrears which has already
crossed more than Rs. 5.00 lakh crore on direct and corporate tax account
alone, and has been increasing at a geometric proportion. Such huge tax evasion
over and above the liberal tax concessions already given in the last two
budgets should not be allowed to continue.
· We welcome the
constitution of SIT for black money and urge for speedy action.
· Effective measures
should be taken to unearth huge accumulation of black money in the economy
including the huge unaccounted money in tax heavens abroad and within the
country. Provisions be made to bring back the illicit flows from India which
are at present more than twice the current external debt of US $ 230 billion.
This money should be directed towards providing social security.
· Concrete measures
be expedited for recovering the NPAs of the banking system from the willfully
defaulting corporate and business houses. By making provision in Banking
Regulations Act, CMDs and executives to be made accountable for creation of
NPAs.
· Tax on long term
capital gains to be introduced, so also higher taxes on the security
transactions to be levied.
· The rate of wealth
tax, corporate tax, gift tax etc to be expanded and enhanced.
· ITES, outsourcing
sector, educational institutions and health services etc run on commercial
basis should be brought under the Service Tax net.
· Small saving
instruments under postal and other agencies be encouraged by incentivizing
commission agents of these scheme.
Other suggestions include holding of post budget consultations with the
representatives of Central Trade Unions, need for directional change in
policies such as stopping of mindless deregulation, encourage entrepreneurship
to tackle problem of unemployment, more spending on education and skill development,
removal of ceiling on gratuity, bonus and pension etc of workers and following
the principle of “Same work, same wages” among others.
Representatives of
different Central Trade Union groups who participated in Dated 07.06.2014’s
meeting included Shri B.N. Rai,
Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), Shri Chandra Prakash Singh, Indian National Trade
Union Congress (INTUC), Shri Shanta Kumar, INTUC, Ms Amarjeet Kaur,
Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), Shri D.L. Sachdeva,
Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), Shri Sharad Rao, Hind
Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Shri Harbhajan Singh Sidhu, Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS),
Shri Swadesh Devroye, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Shri Tapan
Sen, MP (RS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Shri Dilip Bhattacharya,
All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Shri Sankar Saha, All India
United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Shri Sheo Prasad Tiwari, Trade Union
Coordination Centre (TUCC), Shri V.Suburaman, Labour Progressive Federation
(LPF), Shri M. Shanmugum, LPF, Shri Prechandan, United Trade Union Congress
(UTUC), Shri Abni Roy, United Trade Union Congress (UTUC) and Dr. Virat
Jaiswal, National Front of Indian Trade Unions among others.
Source : PIB Press Release
