PD SHARMA writes to FM to satisfy cadre of Central Excise to avoid strike

Ludhiana, March 26, 2013: Apex Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Punjab) president PD Sharma has said country’s manufacturing is continuously on the decline.  Even service sector is not stable.  Worst of all our exports are decreasing miserably.  On account of this dismal situation our Current Account Deficit has reached at a miserable level.  In nut shell our economic position obtaining now is no better than what it was in early 1990’s.  This precarious situation demands quick and strong actions to boost our export.

In a statement here on Tuesday, he added, “We are witnessing an atmosphere of strikes from all walks of life.  Labour is resorting to strike.  Bank employees often threat strikes.  Now inspectors and superintendents of Central Excise Departments are going on strikes for the last 3 days of this month.  This strike is certain to disrupt the function of industry in a significant way which will further add to the economic woos of the country”.

Adding, he said industry has tried to understand the reason of the strike of inspectors and superintendents of Central Excise.  The main reason is the stagnation of the employees which is happening due to blockade of normal promotional avenues. “Who in this world under the prevailing circumstances afford to remain stagnant when the all round promotional avenues are getting opened”, he asked. He urged upon the government to negotiate with these cadres so that unfortunate strike is avoided by satisfying the genuine demands of the officials.

He believed that one of the reasons for the declining exports is that our transaction cost is abnormally high compared to that in other countries. “This makes the exports unviable”, he said, adding strikes by sections of government employees certainly add to the transaction cost.

Sharma revealed that he has written to the Finance Minister to satisfy the concerned cadre so that strike is avoided.