BELLARY: The Union Cabinet will discuss next week the proposed Bill for the unorganised sector and it would be tabled in Parliament in the next session, Oscar Fernandes, Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment, has said.

Addressing presspersons here on Saturday, he said that about 93 per cent of the labour force was in the unorganised sector and efforts were being made to come out with the Bill to providing social security and also for their welfare.

The Bill was to be introduced in the last Parliament session and get it passed. As the session came to an end early, it was not possible. "The Bill will be introduced in the next session," he said.

Mr. Fernandes said the main thrust of the Bill was to ensure social security for labourers working in the unorganised sector.

Child labour

The Minister said that he would send a team to study the working conditions of the labourers in the mining sector and a separate supplementary team, comprising of officials of the departments concerned, with regard to child labour engaged in mining activities.

In order to give an impetus to the ongoing programme of eradicating child labour, the Union Government had planned to come out with schemes in this regard.

"When the officials go to rescue the children who are engaged as domestic help, in dhabhas and in eateries, people ask why not tackle the problem that forced them to become child labour. Keeping this in mind, the pro-posed schemes would ensure that the poor families get their BPL cards, and the like on one hand and rescue the child labour, put them in the bridge school for about three years and bring them to mainstream on the other", he said.

He said that compared with other States, the number of child labour in Karnataka was less.

Night shift

On banning women from working on night shifts, Mr. Fernandes said that it was for the State Governments to decide in the matter. He called for providing a conducive atmosphere for women to work and all efforts should be made to protect their rights.

Mr. Fernandes said that a meeting of the committee was being held shortly to decide on the rate of interest on pension.

He expressed his confidence that his party would retain the seat held by it in Ullal Assembly constituency. He did not agree that there was difference of opinion among the party leaders and workers over the choice of Khader. According to him, Khader had been nursing the constituency for the past three years ever since his father was ill and also active leader of the party besides coming from the Seva Dal too.

Mr. Fernandes was here to participate in the party workers' meeting and also participate in a couple of private functions.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu