Mandaviya assures BMS to look into issues raised by union

New Delhi, Jan 6 (PTI) Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh on Tuesday said Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has assured that he will look into various issues raised by the workers' union, including the demand to raise the minimum pension.
    A high-level delegation of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) met the minister and apprised him of long-pending issues, the union said in a statement.
    The minister has promised to look into the issues raised by BMS, particularly increasing the ceiling limits of ESI and EPF and substantially increasing the minimum pension amount of Rs 1,000.
    The delegation led by Ravindra Himte, General Secretary of BMS, submitted a memorandum on the long-pending workers' issues that have an all-India impact.
    "The BMS has demanded that the Indian Labour Conference be convened at the earliest possible date, increase the ceiling limits of EPF and ESI, bonus calculation limits, and gratuity entitlement limits from 15 days to 30 days; substantially increase the minimum pension amount from Rs 1,000; and increase the honorarium and incentives to all scheme workers," the union said.
    BMS highlighted the plight of different forms of contract workers across the private, public, and government sectors. It explained in detail about the cases of IOCL, private telecom, state electricity boards, ESIC, Air India Express, and Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, among others.
    "The delegation demanded that the government strictly implement Clause 25 (2) (5) (A) of the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act 1970, which clearly says the contract worker should be paid the same and similar wages at par with the workman employed by the employer in any establishment," the statement said.
    The delegation demanded stringent action against contractors/contract agencies that violate the rules, harass, and exploit contract workers.
    BMS also requested the Minister to establish a welfare board for all types of drivers belonging to private transport, which exists throughout India.
    The minister has heard all the issues, discussed the implications of the demands, and promised the delegation that the government would consider these issues seriously and take positive steps at the earliest possible date.
    Responding to the problem of IPO in Regional Rural Banks (RRB), which is pending before the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), the minister has assured the delegation that he will speak to the Finance Minister to resolve this issue.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)