‘Govt mulling new labour policy’

10 March 2012

biswabrata goswami
HALDIA, 10 MARCH: The state government is likely to adopt a new labour policy to promote industry-wide settlements, encourage dispute resolution through tripartite settlements and to try to reverse lockouts and work stoppages.
The state government is also moving the Centre to change labour laws to include state governments in the dialogue between trade unions and company managements. “In the changing scenario, labour laws need to be changed. There should not be any bilateral agreement in labour disputes. The state government must be involved, making it a tripartite agreement,” said state labour minister Purnendu Bose. He also said most labour disputes hang fire as state governments are not involved in it. While speaking at a seminar organised by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce at IOC in Haldia, Mr Bose said: “Instead of protesting and demonstrating, all of us should find ways and means to catch up with the fast moving world.”
Mr Bose reasoned that three decades of Left rule had crippled the state and destroyed the work culture. The situation must change to attract investment. “Bengal is being portrayed as a state without work ethics and with a bad administrative system. We have to change it at any cost,” he said. In a state where labour unions and party politics have always gone hand-in-hand, cleaning up the messy labour landscape in West Bengal will be a tough task for the state government. According to a survey released by the Indian Chambers of Commerce (ICC) earlier this year, West Bengal’s industries have been losing around Rs 8,000 crore a year due to shutdowns and bandhs. Calling it the “bandh capital” of the country, the ICC report said for 2009-10, the state accounted for 267 of the 351 or 76 per cent of the lock-outs and strikes in the country.
Last month, Mr Bose declared that government employees should not go on strikes and lead bandhs against the government. A prominent trade union leader himself, he warned of strict action against public servants who take to the streets.