In the first such meeting with stakeholders post-elections, Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya met trade unions on Wednesday (August 28) to discuss the Budget announcement of employment-linked incentive (ELI) schemes. The Minister has sought suggestions from trade unions to formulate the ELI schemes, which he stressed have been designed to encourage businesses to generate more employment and provide meaningful and sustainable jobs for the youth.
Ten central trade unions submitted a 17-point agenda to the Minister flagging concerns over the absence of consultations with unions while formulating the labour policies and schemes, especially the four labour codes. Mandaviya stressed that the input of the trade unions is valuable and assured the trade unions that such meetings will be a continuous process to seek inputs from trade unions for formulating policies and schemes.
Trade unions, which include Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), and Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), have demanded a minimum wage of Rs 26,000 and regular revision of it every five years with price indexation. The unions have also asked for a minimum pension of Rs 9,000 under the EPS 95 scheme, the constitution of the 8th Pay Commission at the earliest along with a demand for withdrawal of fixed term employment.
A provision for social security coverage of over 27.88 crore registered workers on the e-shram portal was also demanded by the trade unions. “All those registered under E-Shram portal need to be covered under social security E-shram data should be used to frame policies for the unorganised workers and dispensing at least the basic social security of healthcare, maternity benefit, education for children and insurance is extended to the workers,” a statement by the unions said.
The trade unions also pointed out that the Indian Labour Conference (ILC), a tripartite body, has not met for the last nine years and all the changes in labour laws and codification of 29 central laws have been done without passing them through the ILC. The unions in their submission to the Labour and Employment Ministry also pointed out that the Code on Wages was passed in 2019 itself “without any democratic exercise”.
In the Union Budget for 2024-25 presented by the NDA government on July 23, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the Prime Minister’s Package for Employment and Skilling with an overall outlay of Rs 2 lakh crore. Rs 10,000 crore has been allocated to the Ministry of Labour and Employment for three ELI schemes for this financial year. Enrolment in the EPFO (Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation) will form the basis of the three ELI schemes, which will focus on the recognition of first-time employees, workers in manufacturing, and additional job creation.
