The Hindu : New economy anti-labour: CITU leader

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 16, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

New economy anti-labour: CITU leader

By Our Special Correspondent

SHIMOGA Feb. 15. The General Secretary of the CITU State unit, V.J.K. Nair, today expressed concern over the replacement of the socialist economic order with a centralised economic order with the advent of liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation.

Inaugurating the two-day 17th general conference of the Karnataka State Medical and Sales Representatives' Association here, he said the country experienced a drastic structural change in its economic order from 1991 onwards that sought to turn India's position as a manufacturer into a mere market for goods manufactured by other countries.

He pointed out that in the present phase of privatisation, the state was being forced to withdraw from public sector undertakings and promote privatisation and capitalism. He said that Karnataka Antibiotics, started with an investment of Rs. 1.5 crore, was to be privatised although it was a profit-making undertaking.

The privatisation of pharmaceutical companies was bound to not only worsen the service conditions of the employees but also adversely effect the healthcare sector.

He said the only policy being followed in the private sector was "hire and fire". The working class was prepared to face this challenge if adequate social security was provided. He said the net result of privatisation was a reducing of wages and this had not spared even the civic bodies. Private contractors were determining the wages of safai karmacharis.

Mr. Nair warned that the time was not far off when government employees would have to fight against the privatisation of their departments.

He said that the CITU had organised a `Parliament chalo' on February 26 to protest against the Competition Bill and the Labour Bill proposed to be adopted in the coming session.

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New economy anti-labour: CITU leader