 "UPA may give pension gift to workers")
In the poll year, the UPA government may gift the workers -- working in both organised and unorganised structures -- a minimum pension of Rs 1,000 a month.
A group of ministers, headed by Defence Minister A K Antony, deliberated the issue today. Antony asked Finance Minister P Chidambaram to work out the cost of the scheme.
The plan is to have a minimum pension of Rs 1,000 under the Employees' Pension Scheme. It will be a kind of an umbrella scheme, which will subsume many other existing schemes. A national fund will also be created for the purpose.
Earlier central trade unions and federations submitted ten-point demands to the government, including assured pension for all.
Earlier in his address to the Indian Labour Conference, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also mentioned that the demands of trade unions including pension reflect the concern that the growth and progress should be inclusive and particularly benefit the underprivileged sections of the society.
The GoM also comprised Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Labour Minister Malkiarjun Kharge. The meeting was also attended by Expenditure Secretary R S Gujral and Mrutunjay Sarangi were also present.
The charter of demands of the unions also include amendment to Minimum Wages Act to ensure universal coverage irrespective of the schedules and fixation of statutory minimum wage at not less than Rs 10,000-linked with cost price index.
This demand has already been approved by the Cabinet to provide for a statutory national floor level for minimum wage.
The unions have also demanded concrete measures to contain price rise as well as to create employment, strict enforcement of labour laws, stopping disinvestment in central and state PSUs, a ban on hiring of labour on contract for permanent kind of work, removing ceilings on payment of bonus, provident fund nd increasing the quantum of gratuity.
A group of ministers, headed by Defence Minister A K Antony, deliberated the issue today. Antony asked Finance Minister P Chidambaram to work out the cost of the scheme.
The plan is to have a minimum pension of Rs 1,000 under the Employees' Pension Scheme. It will be a kind of an umbrella scheme, which will subsume many other existing schemes. A national fund will also be created for the purpose.
Earlier central trade unions and federations submitted ten-point demands to the government, including assured pension for all.
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The unions are hopeful that the government will announce it, given the fact that it is a election year when assembly elections in major states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi will take place. National polls may happen either this year or early part of the next year.
Earlier in his address to the Indian Labour Conference, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also mentioned that the demands of trade unions including pension reflect the concern that the growth and progress should be inclusive and particularly benefit the underprivileged sections of the society.
The GoM also comprised Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Labour Minister Malkiarjun Kharge. The meeting was also attended by Expenditure Secretary R S Gujral and Mrutunjay Sarangi were also present.
The charter of demands of the unions also include amendment to Minimum Wages Act to ensure universal coverage irrespective of the schedules and fixation of statutory minimum wage at not less than Rs 10,000-linked with cost price index.
This demand has already been approved by the Cabinet to provide for a statutory national floor level for minimum wage.
The unions have also demanded concrete measures to contain price rise as well as to create employment, strict enforcement of labour laws, stopping disinvestment in central and state PSUs, a ban on hiring of labour on contract for permanent kind of work, removing ceilings on payment of bonus, provident fund nd increasing the quantum of gratuity.