Realising that it will be difficult to make the UPA government accept wholesale changes in the Bill, the key UPA partner has zeroed in on four areas of the proposed legislation, aimed to give comprehensive social security to almost 90 per cent of India's workforce. Rajya Sabha member Tapan Sen has moved these amendments which will test the UPA government in the monsoon session when the Bill comes for voting.
Although the government flags social programmes like Old Age Pension Scheme and Aam Aadmi Bima Yojna that will take care of the unorganised sector, the key supporters of the UPA feels otherwise. "The present parameter of the BPL is monthly per capita consumption expenditure of Rs 356.30 and Rs 538.60 for rural and urban areas respectively. Which section of unorganised sector can qualify this parameter to receive the benefits", asks Rajya Sabha member Tapan Sen. To ensure that workers not entitled for these schemes can also reap the benefit, the CPI(M) wants a specific mention of a clause that schemes will 'cover all unorganised workers and not be restricted to BPL category' mentioned in the Bill.
The CPI(M) has also demanded a 'National Social Security and Welfare Fund' to meet all the expenses of the welfare schemes. However, it has not specified any desired size of the corpus. The government had mentioned all its welfare schemes in the schedule of the Bill, Sen's amendments has sought to make the list part of the Bill itself to ensure that government can't close the schemes arbitarily in future.
It has also asked for a dispute resolution mechanism at the state levels.
Although the key UPA supporters are seriously pressing for these changes, the UPA government hasn't shown any indication till date that the wish-list will be accepted. The labour ministry has set aside most of the recommendations of the Arjun Sengupta Committee on the issue.