Govt. committed to work with industry to ensure framework in labour sector: PM

NEW DELHI - The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on Tuesday said the Central Government is committed to working with trade unions and industry to ensure that the regulatory framework in the labour sector is conducive to both employment generation and workers’ welfare and well being.

Inaugurating the 43rd session of Indian Labour Conference here, Dr. Singh said: “Our regulatory framework in the labour sector should encourage investment in labour intensive industries. It should also ensure the well being of our workers. Simultaneously, it should make our industry more competitive by enhancing productivity.”

“It is also important that the gains of enhanced productivity are equitably shared among shareholders, workers and consumers at large. Both industry and labour should and must work together to remove the barriers to faster economic growth and to faster growth of employment,” he added.

He further said: “Our quest for faster and more inclusive growth requires us to be constantly watchful.”

“We should constantly introspect whether our policies are serving our goals. We should reflect upon possible flaws in our policies as well as ways to strengthen policy to withstand adverse circumstances,” he said.

“We have the welfare of all workers in mind, those in the organized sector of course, but also those in agriculture, in self-employment, in part-time jobs and in seasonal work. Therefore, we need to think about ways to make their productive lives more secure and sufficiently remunerative and also intrinsically satisfying,” he added.

Stating that the UPA Government has not only to make our growth faster, Dr Singh said: “It make it more inclusive.”

“We have launched innovative schemes for promotion of rural employment, in healthcare and in skill development. There have been many successes in our initiatives for social and economic inclusion,” he said.

“We stand committed not only to creating more employment but also to social security and welfare of our workers. We stand committed to economic reform with a human face, in which the interests of the weaker sections of our society are effectively protected,” he added.

He further said that this conference provides a platform for valuable dialogue between the various stakeholders in the labour sector. (ANI)