The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has requested the Chairman of the Group of Meeting on Employment to protect labour incentive sectorS to avoid huge job losses and suggested different measures for employment generation.
The Govt. of India has formed a Group of Ministers (GOM) on employment and skill development under the Chairmanship of Shri. Thavar Chand Gehlot, Hon. Union Minister for Social Justice. The GOM meeting held on 6 & 7 August 2020.
The BMS delegation consisting Shri. B. Surendran, All India Organising Secretary and Shri. Pawan Kumar, Zonal Organising Secretary has met the GOM and presented BMS suggestions before the GOM.
All the 8 Union Ministers along with their officials were also present in the meeting. On behalf of BMS Shri. B. Surendran made the presentation. The Honorable Ministers presented Sri Thavar Chand Gehlot; Sri Arjun Munda; Dr.Mahendra Nath Pandey; Sri Santosh Gangawar; Sri Prahlad Singh Patel; Sri G Kishan Reddy; Sri V Muralidharan and Sri Pratap Sarangi.
BMS strongly felt that, unless there is a paradigm shift in thinking among the policymakers and the enforcement agencies, the desired transformation will not come. So, the need of the hour is out of box thinking and formulating new strategies keeping in mind the special situations prevailing in India.
On Employment the BMS suggested — 1. Protect existing employment in Labour-intensive sectors like -Agriculture, Plantation, Beedi, Handloom, Fishing, etc. After Covid19, huge job losses occurring in these sectors; 2. Recognize Community based professions as employment avenues. Take all protective measures to save them.;3. Identify districts which are providing mass employment with local resources and local potentialities. Assist them to increase more employment.;4. Develop clusters of villages in each district at which 20-25 villages consists. For Integrated Development of Villages adopt village clusters model.5Migrant Workers Centric Plans are required particularly concerning with Construction workers, Street Vendors, Hotel Workers, Daily Wage Workers for domestic purposes, Self-employed workers etc. are to be identified and identity cards to be issued to each individual; 6. Apart from Migrant Labour, there is a huge number of Local labour which can be useful to fulfil the needs of urban areas. Government has to establish a mechanism to provide work for these workers; 7. The MGNAREGA works should not be done during Crop seeding and cutting period. Change parameter/criteria for providing job to registered workers. Family should not be the basis for providing work instead Individual should be the basis. So 100 working days for each individual has to been given. ; 8. A new mechanism/policy required to restrict production of certain items which, Tiny, Micro and Cottage Industries can produce. Big companies, Corporates & MNCs should not produce these items. This is a tough and hard decision, but to protect our Rural Economy it is essential. 9. The State Governments and the Central Government must collect & maintain Migrants workers data properly. That will be useful for Man Power Assessment. Some coordinated efforts with State Governments have to be intensified to provide employment opportunities to these millions of Migrant Workers.
There was a very good response from the Ministers and they appreciated the BMS efforts. There were queries on Beedi Industry, handloom Industry, Restriction on productions, clusters of villages, community-based professions, Migrant Labour and suggestions on Skill.
