PRAGOTI

Assocham president, Sajjan Jindal, released a document ‘Jobs Scenario Post-Diwali’ on October 29, 2008 in New Delhi and announced that seven industry segments had drawn up conclusive plans to curtail their workforce by 25 to 30 per cent, which was likely to be announced in the next 10 days or so.

M K Pandhe, President, CITU has sent the following letter to Oscar Fernandes, Minister of Labour and Employment, regarding retrenchment and lay off by the employers in the prevailing global economic scenario.

October 30, 2008

Dear Shri Fernandes,

I am constrained to invite your immediate attention to the spectre of alarm and uncertainty looming large over the workers in the country caused by the threats of retrenchment and lay off by the employers in the prevailing global economic scenario. In this connection the statement by ASSOCHAM as reported in the media today about the conclusive plan of steel, cement, IT/ITes/BPO, construction, real estate and aviation to curtail their work force by 25 per cent is bound to add further sense of disquiet and apprehension among the workers. As a matter of fact, in textile sector and in private airlines retrenchment/ lay off has already been resorted to by the employers coupled with their demand of bail out/ concession of the Government.

In view of the above, the Government should immediately intervene to ensure that the jobs of the workers and their interests are protected before any relief is extended to any industry. In order to have a proper perspective of the global crisis and its impact on different sectors vis-à-vis the protection of the labour from the adversities, I request you to call immediately a meeting of all the Central Trade Unions for detailed discussions. I am sure, you will agree that discussions being conducted by the Union Finance Minister and others only with the corporates, leaving aside the major stake holder viz the labour, will be totally counter productive.

With regards,

Yours sincerely,