Indian labor unions threaten strike<\/p>\n
NEW DELHI (AFP): Leading Indian trade unions on Sunday
\nthreatened to launch a nationwide strike to protest against Prime
\nMinister Atal Behari Vajpayee government's policy of
\nprivatization and relaxing rigid labour laws.<\/p>\n
In a joint statement, national labour unions criticized
\nVajpayee for his recent statement that liberalization of the
\neconomy was aimed at raising employment and reducing poverty.<\/p>\n
The leaders of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC),
\nBhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), Centre for Indian Trade Union
\n(CITU), Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and others
\nmet Sunday to determine a course of action.<\/p>\n
Vajpayee recently rebutted criticism from the unions about
\nsensitive labor law reforms and privatization.<\/p>\n
\"To term these reforms as anti-labor, as some people are
\ndoing, is misleading,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Indian premier conceded \"during the period of transition,
\nthere can be some teething trouble,\" but pointed out that no
\nworker had been retrenched in the country's decade-long economic
\nreforms.<\/p>\n
The unions said in a statement they would agitate against the
\n\"thoughtless privatization of profit-making and potentially
\nviable public sector undertakings including defense sector
\nindustries.\"<\/p>\n
The labor leaders also vowed to oppose tooth and nail changes
\nin labor laws that would strengthen the hand of employers at the
\ncost of workers, which they said would increase unemployment.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indian-labor-unions-threaten-strike-1447893297",
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