 |
|
|
New labour policy announced
Unions unhappy
Haryana to appoint Lok Pal
Haryana Speaker resigns
Class VIII exams advanced
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Overseas placement assistance body constituted
Six railways employees
suspended
Builder’s employee shot
A.D. Malik dead
|
|
New labour policy announced
Chandigarh, January 12 The document, released by the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, at a function attended by industrialists and representatives of labour unions, focuses on strengthening the conciliation mechanism for the early resolution of industrial disputes. It suggests that the conciliation officers should assist in the setting up of inhouse dispute resolution processes so that minor irritants can be sorted out in a routine manner and resentment among employers or workers avoided. The policy also lays down that the Labour Department will try to make a proactive intervention in certain situations in order to help avoid retrenchment, layoffs, strikes and industrial mishaps. A multipronged strategy has been drawn up to achieve these objectives. These includes guidelines on organising conferences between industry and workers’ unions, streamlining factory building plans and redressing the grievances of contract labourers. Guidelines have also given on inspection (the objective should be compliance and not prosecution) and the settlement of disputes. It was stated in the policy that the performance of Labour Department officers dealing with conciliation work would be judged on the basis of the number of settlements of industrial disputes brought about by the officer concerned. It said that while the government would appreciate the resolution of disputes at the initial stages, it had also decided to set up two new labour courts in Gurgaon and Faridabad to reduce the burden on the seven existing courts. The policy also mentioned that the state government had, through a notification issued on November 18, exempted the IT industry and IT-enabled industries from the existing provisions governing the opening and closing hours. Industries falling in these two categories have been declared “public utility service” which will prevent a strike or a lockout without due notice. The state government also decided to allow women to work in the IT sector in the night shift. This permission is being given on the condition that the management provides adequate security to the women workers and also arranges their transportation. The management will also have to set up a committee to protect women from sexual harassment. The permission will be initially granted for one year which can be renewed for the next three years. The policy also lays down the time frame, ranging from 15 days to two months, for the disposal of cases under various labour laws. The objectives of the policy include the rehabilitation of child labour and bonded labour. The Chief Minister said the government was trying to create an atmosphere of harmonious industrial growth when both strikes and lockouts became obsolete practices. Mr Hooda, however, warned that the government would not allow “outside forces” with vested interests to create industrial strife in Haryana. He said the government would come down heavily on industries which were not paying the minimum wages. He had already learnt about one such industry, he said. Mr Birender Singh, Labour Minister, said this was the first attempt to formulate a labour policy, but by no means would it be the last. The interaction of the government with industry and labour would continue to continuously update the policy, he said. |
|
Unions unhappy
Chandigarh, January 12 According to sources, representatives of these unions, who were here to attend the function at which the policy was released in the presence of the Labour and Employment Minister, Mr Birender Singh, have agreed in principle to hold a joint meeting in Panipat later this month to discuss and draw up a joint action plan to oppose the policy, which one of the leaders described as a “policy for the managements and not the labour.” However, the Indian National Trade Union Congress(INTUC), a front organisation of the Congress, has expressed satisfaction with the policy. The organising secretary of the Haryana BMS, Mr Pawan Kumar, said the policy was silent on workers of the unorganised sector. He alleged that the policy was framed without taking into confidence senior leaders of the labour organisations. The authorities held two meetings only with junior functionaries of the unions and even they were given only 25 minutes to speak at each of the two meetings held before the policy was framed. Mr Pawan Kumar said the state government had issued a draft notification on February 17, 2005, proposing to increase the minimum wages of unskilled labourers to Rs 2,600 per month. However, no follow-up action was taken on it. He said like the Chautala government, the present government, too, had not constituted 11 tripartite committees in the Labour Department to look after various labour issues. The last time these committees were constituted, he said, was before 1999. He alleged that the democratic set-up was being systematically scrapped in the department. He said the government should frame an employment-based development policy and not a development-based employment policy. Mr Satbir Singh, general secretary of the Haryana CITU, said the document released by the Chief Minister could not be termed as a labour policy because it did not reflect the ground realities. It seemed that the document had been prepared to send positive signals to big capital to invest in Haryana. A housing policy for labourers living in the slums of industrial towns should have been announced. He said the working conditions of labourers were deplorable. They had to work for 12 hours and the contract system was fast growing. At least in the past one decade, no industry had been punished by the Labour Department for violating labour laws. Mr Nagesh Singh of the HMS said there were no clear directions to check the exploitation of workers, particularly women employees, after the exemption granted to IT and related industry from Sections 9 and 10 of the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958, which regulated the working hours of the employees. Mr Darshan Singh, president of the Haryana AITUC, said matters under Section 2(A) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (relating to the termination of services) should be referred direct to the labour courts on the pattern of Delhi and Karnataka so that the affected persons could get early justice. |
|
Haryana to appoint Lok Pal
Chandigarh, January 12 The process includes consultations with the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court as well as the Leader of the Opposition. Since there is no recognised Leader of the Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha, the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, may write to Mr Om Prakash Chautala, leader of the single largest opposition party in the Assembly. According to informed sources, the name of a sitting Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge, who is about to retire, is being considered for the post. Justice I.P. Vashishth, a former Judge of the Allahabad High Court, was appointed the first Lok Pal of Haryana during the Bansi Lal Government. However, when Mr Chautala came into power, the Lok Pal Act was abolished and Justice Vashishth was removed from service. A new Act was enacted but Mr Chautala took no steps for the appointment of the Lok Pal till a few weeks before his tenure was to come to an end. The Governor, Dr A.R. Kidwai, did not agree to the name of Justice N.K. Kapoor, a former Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, whose name was recommended by Mr Chautala, despite opposition by the then Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice B.K. Roy.
|
|
Haryana Speaker resigns
Chandigarh, January 12 Meanwhile, in a significant development, the MLA from Tosham, Mrs Kiran Choudhary, who was considered to be one of the probable candidates for the post of Speaker, has been admitted to hospital. She is unlikely to attend the Vidhan Sabha session opening from tomorrow. A person cannot be elected as Speaker in absentia because his or her consent is mandatory. The Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, is keeping the cards close to his chest, giving no indication about the possible new entrants to his Cabinet.
|
|
Class VIII exams advanced
Yamunanagar, January 12 The syllabus of Class VIII was changed during the session and the examination board is yet to release the blue print of the pattern on which the examination, will be held. None of the board officials could be contacted after repeated attempts. There have been holidays or teachers could not take classes as they were performing extra duties or were on leave for 200 days from April 1, 2005 to January 12 2006. The schools will open on January 16 Sources said during 320 days since April 1, 2005, effective teaching could not be held for more than 125 days. During the last academic session the overall result of the government schools for Class VIII was only 41 per cent as against 74 per cent of the private schools in the district. The sources said different teachers’ unions had urged the government and the board concerned to hold the examinations of Class VIII in March. Last year the examinations had started from February 16. These days the schools have closed because of the prevailing cold wave. Power cuts have added to the woes of the students and parents. Several teachers requesting anonymity admitted that significant part of Class VIII (and also of Class X) syllabus is yet to be covered and they were worried about the performance of students in the examinations. Members of the Haryana Rajkiya Adhyapak Sangh (affiliated to the Haryana Karmachari Mahasangh) will meet the Haryana Chief Minister for the postponement of the Class VIII examinations so that students could get time to revise their syllabus. The district president of the Sangh, Mr Pradeep Sareen, said that the sangh members would demand that examinations should be held along with Class X and XII board examination in March. |
|
Overseas placement assistance body constituted
Chandigarh, January 12 The Finance and Labour Minister, Mr Birender Singh, who released the brochure of the society, said it would have 10 official members and two non-official members with the Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Labour and Employment Department, as its chairperson. The two non-official members would be representatives of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the CII. The society would provide information, guidance and assistance in connection with opportunities available for overseas studies and placements. All 61 employment exchanges in the state would function as facilitation centres of the society. The society would obtain the Certificate of Registration under the Emigration Act, 1983, from the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and thereafter, an Overseas Placement Bureau would be set up. The bureau would function as a recruiting agent for the purpose of overseas placements.
|
|
Six railways employees
suspended
Ambala, January 12 Divisional Commercial Manager MS Meena said an Assistant Station Master, two
pointsmen of Dhablan station, a guard, a driver and assistant driver of goods
train have been placed under suspension. Mr Meena said the 4888
Jodhpur-Kalka/Haridwar Express met with a collision with a goods train at Dhablan station at 3.25 am. “There were no casualties. The derailed coaches/wagons were back on the rails at 3.35 pm,” he said. “Assistant Mechanical Engineer Rakesh Saini, who was footplating the 4888 Jodhpur-Kalka Express, showed exceptional poise and alertness by applying the emergency brakes and saving precious lives,” he said. He said arrangements had been made for the passengers. Senior DCM Aneet Dullat along with other officials supervised the arrangement at Nabha. He said an extra train was started from Ambala to Haridwar at 12.40 pm. The trains diverted are 4712, 4732, 1057, 1058 and 4888. The cancelled train numbers are 4525, 4526, 335, 2 UB and 4888A, he said. |
|
Builder’s employee shot
Budhan Khera (Karnal), January 12 According to eyewitnesses, two unidentified youths shot Naresh dead last evening at the company’s local office situated between Phoosgarh and Budhan Khera villages. One of the eyewitnesses and a worker of the company Bhola Singh told The Tribune that the killers came on a black Splendor motorcycle, without having a number plate, and asked about Mahesh Agarwal Pintoo, a supervisor with the company. Another worker Pradeep said one of the killers kept on standing near the motorcycle while the other went towards Naresh Agarwal, site in charge of the company, and fired two shots at him from point-blank range, which hit him in the temple. The two killers managed to flee from the spot. |
|
A.D. Malik dead
Chandigarh, January 12 He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter. Mr Malik also remained a member of the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. He joined the Punjab Civil Service in 1961 and the Indian Administrative Service in 1980. He had served the Haryana Government in various capacities, both in the field as well as at the state headquarters. A postgraduate in political science, he also held a diploma in community development and authored three books, “Indian Guerrilla War,” “Alexander the Great” and “Kundalini and Meditation.”
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
