LUDHIANA NEWS- Badish Jindal represents India as employers’ representative in 6th India - European Union summit

Ludhiana, July 2, 2013: The National President of FASII Badish Jindal represented India as employers’ representative in the 6th India - European Union summit held in Brussels (Belgium), Berlin (Germany) and Lisbon in Portugal.

In a statement here today, Jindal said the agenda of the summit was employment and social protection of workers in India and European Union.

All the governments of 27 countries of European Union participated in the summit, Mrituanjay Sarangi secretary Govt. of India, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Anil Aggarwal Director General ESI and A.C. Panday Joint Secretary Ministry of Labour and Employment represented the Government of India in the summit.

The main issue were:

•           Only 6% workers in India having security cover because the formal economy in India is just 6% & 94% is informal economy in India.

•           40% young people are unemployed in India.

•           The population growth rate in India is on higher side.

•           In new demographic changes the number of old workers are increasing in India and these workers have no social security cover which is going to effect the economy of India.

•           The trade ties of India with other countries are not in favour of India.

•           The women workers are just doing the non productive house hold work in India.

•           The schemes like NREGA and free food facilities are negatively effecting the country by keeping a huge number of population unskilled.

•           The SMEs are closing down in Europe, resulting huge unemployment there in many countries.

•           The economy in Europe is mainly formal so all the workers are covered under social security.

•           Many governments in Europe are paying unemployment bonus but this is just for limited time period, and to the persons who were employed in the past.

•           The European countries run the health programmes through private insurance companies which are in favour of the workers.

•           Many high risk industries have to pay more on the social securities of the workers in Europe, where as in India no such scheme is there.

•           The European countries are spending 25% to 40% on social security whereas India spends just 5% of its GDP.

•           India also requested the European Union for technology transfer so a to provide better jobs in India.

•           India stated that policies will be introduced to provide more opportunities to the women & old age people.

In his address, Jindal requested the European Union and India to support SMEs for employment generation. In last five years the SMEs provided one crore new jobs in India. He further said SMEs can provide more number of jobs. He also requested the India Government to stop the schemes like NREGA and requested to keep these schemes only for women and old.

He opposed the free food schemes to the working people and requested that the subsidies should be for the skilled development of the workers. He also opposed the low tariff trade links with the neighbouring countries. He said many of the European countries are also suffering due to this.