Singers
Lighting the lamp and opening the Executive meeting
Garland for Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes from UNI's Philip Jennings
Joe de Bruyn
Oscar Fernandes |  | India’s Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes gave his encouragement to the work of UNI global union to bring trade unions to the new areas of the Indian economy.
UNI has launched unions in the IT, BPO and Commerce sectors along with a project for security guards and has plans to add unions in private sector banks and in mobile phone companies.
Workers in the new areas “should feel they need to be covered by unions” he said during the colourful opening ceremony of UNI’s World Executive on its first visit to India.
“I support your dialogue for workers in India and across the world to give them the protection they need.” It is not just an issue of pay, said the Minister.
“India has unique protective laws for organised workers but there is tremendous pressure to change our laws,” he told delegates - having earlier briefed UNI leaders on the demands from multinational companies to change India's labour laws.
Minister Fernandes outlined the government’s determination to extend worker rights to the unorganised sector in India with the new Bill before Parliament and the extension of social security benefits.
“We want women to have equal status in society with men,” he told the Executive to wide applause.
93% of India’s labour force is in the unorganised (informal) sector and only 5% of workers are currently skilled. “Our programme of education for all is one of the biggest tools we have to fight unemployment and poverty,” he said outlining a target of 50% skilled workers.
“Unemployment means poverty, employment means the eradication of poverty - so we are fighting to provide employment.”
To open the Executive’s first ever session in India he lit the traditional lamp - “let it drive away the problems faced by millions of workers in this country and the world over”.
UNI-Asia Pacific President Joe de Bruyn congratulated India on its 60th independence birthday, celebrated just a few months ago. This month was the 100th anniversary of the launch of Mahatma Gandhi’s Non Violence Movement, which began in South Africa during his period there and went on to play a key role a key role in winning independence from the British Empire in 1947.
“The biggest challenge for us is organising and recruitment - membership is the life blood of this movement - and we need to have well established trade union rights in every country.
“We want to make our voice heard by decision makers, we want a seat at the table so that the voice of the workers are heard when decisions are made.”
Joe described India with its one billion citizens as “a world in itself” and the Minister talked of “unique India” with its secular constitution that embraces different religions, groups, languages and dialects
Joe spotlighted India as a model for democracy in the region and expressed his dismay at recent events in Burma, Pakistan. Thailand, Bangladesh and Fiji. |