Friday, December 9 2005 14:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government is considering different drafts of a possible Bill for unorganized sector workers' social security, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here today (Dec 9,2005).

"The Government is presently examining alternative approaches to the welfare of workers in the unorganized sector and is considering different drafts," he said addressing the 40th session of the Indian Labour Conference here.

Favoring a 'meaningful discussion' on all aspects of the bill, including its administrative feasibility and financial viability, he said while such legislative protection was necessary and advisable, 'the ultimate security for all working people lies in the assurance of sustained economic growth and development.'

"A country like ours has enormous potential for the growth of employment opportunities," he pointed out.

Describing the working class as 'the blood that flows through our veins', he said the UPA Government was 'firmly committed' to ensure the welfare and well-being of all workers, particularly those in the unorganized sector who constitute 93 per cent of the workforce.

"Our Government is committed to giving a new deal for the working people to ensure that they receive their due share from the fruits of development," he said.

Asserting that it should be possible to sustain growth rates of close to 8-10 per cent for several years, he urged both industry and labour to work together in removing the hurdles in the way of faster economic growth and in ensuring a climate of industrial peace and good industrial relations.

The Prime Minister observed that there were 'several impediments' to new investment and said they must be removed so that the growth process can be accelerated and more employment generated.

He said while the physical barriers to growth and employment creation, like infrastructure bottlenecks, were easier to deal with, those that were more difficult to remove were policies that have outlived their original purpose.

"Many of these are legacies of the past that have no longer much relevance today. Indeed, some of them have become counter-productive and may well be hurting the very people they were meant to benefit," he said.

To drive home his point, Singh said," Certain labour laws have in fact hurt working class interests by discouraging investment in labour intensive industries. They have encouraged expensive automation and capital-intensive technologies."

Referring to the textiles industry, he said the sector was once again opening up and it can 'regain its lost glory in the global market' and create new job opportunities.

The Prime Minister also spoke of the 'burden' of multiple and parallel legislation in which terms like workman, wages, employee and factory were defined differently.

"Many Acts go into unnecessary details," he said citing a section of the Factories Act which actually specifies the necessity of 'daily sweeping' of a premises.

"Another section specifies the minimum distance in a factory between the source of drinking water supply and a possible source of contamination," he said.