SPEECH BY R. CHANDRASEKHARAN, ILO GOVERNING BODY MEMBER IN NATIONAL TRIPARTITE DIALOGUE ON FUTURE OF WORK: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES ORGANISED BY FICCI ON 8TH JULY 2016 AT NEW DELHI
First of all I take this opportunity to welcome the Director General of International Labour Organisation Mr. Guy Ryder to the largest democratic country in the World, and also I extend my sincere thanks to The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry representing one of our partner in tri-partisom, in organizing such a meeting here today in the honour of Mr. Guy Ryder, Director General of ILO. I thank for the invitation to participate in this marvelous meeting.
It is quite natural co-incidents that Indian Trade Union staged in the same year of the inception of ILO in 1919 and there by India became one of the founder member of International Labour Organisation, eventhough the Industrial revaluation took place in India in the early 19th Century. The Trade Unions are the byproduct of Industrial revaluation, the workers and trade unions are the main Stake Holders of Industries and Institutions, and without accepting this basic principle, no industry can survive, longer with a good performance. This has been accepted by the well reputed economists and industrialists in the developed and developing countries. The ILO is also in that path and direction.
As we know India was under western ruling for more than 4 centuries and at the same time under hundreds of Independent kingdoms. During this period the people particularly the workers were slaves or equal to slaves. The common people and workers were in freedom struggle for many years under the leadership of our great Mahatma Gandhi the father of Nation. He himself showed the path and guidelines for collective bargaining and settlements, and also the arbitration process in Industrial disputes where no Labour Laws were existed. After the Independence in 1947 till 1991, for 44 years, India followed the Fabian Socialism based on mixed economy under the leadership of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajeev Gandhi the Former Prime Ministers of India.
They established many Public Sector companies in core areas like, Steel, Coal, Communications, Banking, Railways, Textiles, Chemicals, Fertilizers and so many. These Public Sector Industries were acted as the role model for all Industries with full budgetary support of the Government. This helped the workers to get more labour related enactments to protect the interest of workers, regarding their wages, service conditions and also the social security measures. In this context the major enactments were the Minimum Wages Act, Provident Fund Act, Employees State Insurance Act, Gratuity Act, Bonus Act and similar more than 58 Acts were enacted to protect the interest of Indian Working Class.
Apart from this, while the Constitution of India formulated in 1950, our great leaders of this country incorporated the FREEDOM TO FORM ASSOCIATION OR UNIONS as the Fundamental Right of the people as per Article 19 – 1 (c). Again by Article 43 of the constitution emphasized regarding the Living Wages and decent standard of living for workers instead of Minimum Wages.
Moreover India was in the attitude of accepting and implementing the ILO Conventions. But ILO Convention 87 & 98 still have not been ratified by Government of India, eventhough the repeated demands were put forward by ILO and Indian Trade Unions. The Government’s argument is that the matter mentioned in the ILO Convention No. 87 & 98 has been already included in the CONSTITUTION OF INDIA and also in various labour laws. But in the present globalised scenario their arguments have no relevance in the area of multinational companies, all kinds of corporates, new generation insurance and banking sector institutions, information technology firms etc…. By introducing contract labour and contract employment hire and fire system is following without considering any labour laws existing. So ILO convention 87 & 98 should be ratified immediately without any delay for the better Industrial Relations.
We always appreciate the will and pleasure of the people of India and their democratic right to elect any party in power. But one electoral victory should not be the criteria to change all the provisions of the constitution particularly with regard to labour related enactments. The present Government of India made extensive amendments in the labour laws by introducing 4 LABOUR CODES. In our opinion these labour codes will defeat the very purpose of labour protection. All these matters have been taken up with ILO and ITUC and the ITUC General Secretary Ms. SHARON BURROW wrote a very strong letter to Prime Minister of India to desist from such anti labour enactments. But as yet there is no response from Government of India. We are aware the importance of productivity, sustainability of Industries and at the same time the trade unions in India is always upholding the values of human life, protection of employment, social security and most importantly the strength of Industries. It is also important to examine the claim of Union Government that there is a steady progress in GDP growth and propagating the progress in economic situations etc…… The trade unions are in the strong view that such economic progress or growth in GDP is achieved by the strong and sincere contribution of labour. In such a situation any progress in GDP or Economic Growth should be distributed to the down trodden and the labour. This was a major slogan by earlier Governments led by Indian National Congress as INCLUSIVE GROWTH.
I want to make explicitly clear to this August body that the trade unions in India is prepared to co-operate with the management and the Government for better productivity, sustainable growth, upliftment of poor and also decent living conditions for the working class.
I hope my few observations will catch the attention of MR. GUY RYDER, Director General of ILO to take up this important issues related to labour to the Union Government of India and to find out reasonable remedies for the apprehensions made here.