Union leaders underplay labour role

The definition of productivity of employees should be widened taking into account factors like management productivity, production techniques, capital employed and machine productivity.

"The concept of labour productivity calculated in isolation does not have any meaning," explained Samar Chakroborty, general secretary, INTUC while addressing an industry meet on 'Enhancing labour productivity and work culture in West Bengal', organised by the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce & Industry in the city on Wednesday.

He admitted chronic absenteeism was a fault with employees in the state. There were strong provisions in the Act enabling management action against employees, but Chakroborty urged the industry and employees not to use them. He said he favoured out of court settlements.

He said many owners in the jute sector did not honour agreements reached in meetings leading to chaos.

Kali Ghosh, general secretary, CITU, said productivity should be increased.

However, production levels were dependent on employers and employees actually had little to do in improvement of productivity. Technology and raw materials used by manufacturing units were the crucial factors, he said, not labour.

A Mazumdar, chairman of TIL Ltd, said four factors could lead to advancement of the state.

These were addressing the image problem adequately, setting up of more units in the core sector, revival of the existing manufacturing units in the state and development of new townships and manufacturing zones rather than making the state Kolkata-centric.