The Hindu : Unions want Govt. to challenge SC verdict

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 25, 2003

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National

Unions want Govt. to challenge SC verdict

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI AUG. 24. Trade union leaders have decided to urge the Government to move the Court to negate the impact of the Supreme Court verdict on the right to collective bargaining through strike.

Some leaders have also expressed unhappiness that the Government was trying to abdicate its social responsibility towards providing pension to its employees by creating privately managed pension schemes bound to be driven by the profit motive.

Gurudas Dasgupta, trade union leader of the CPI, today commented on the Union Cabinet clearing the proposal for a contributory pension scheme to be managed by the corporate sector. He feared that the provident fund money accruing in these deposits would be "diverted and spent for other purposes and there would be no guarantee of returns on the investment". His view was that the Government was simply abandoning its responsibility towards this essential welfare measure. With repeated lowering of interest rates savings of the working people have been affected, he said.

Trade unions across the political spectrum have decided to follow through their decision to ensure that the Supreme Court judgment, given in relation to the strike by the Tamil Nadu Government employees, should be challenged and its impact negated.

At a meeting of central trade unions here recently, two resolutions were adopted. One expressed "deep shock and concern" over the Supreme Court verdict. The Union leaders reiterated that the right to strike was not open to judicial interpretation. The other resolution called upon the Government to take steps to negate the impact of the judgment and protect the workers' right to collective bargaining.

Although the Unions have decided not to approach the Supreme Court for a review of the judgment, they have made it clear that they expect the Government to do so. In this connection, some of the leaders have sought an appointment with the Prime Minister.

Mr. Dasgupta said a national convention of trade unions would be held here on September 26 to chalk out a plan of action. Later, a national convention would be held in Chennai "to express solidarity" with the Tamil Nadu government employees.

He said that it was decided that if the Government failed to challenge the Supreme Court judgment and ask for a review, the Unions would be left with no option but to resort to a nation-wide strike.

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