The Finance Minister held Pre Budget 2018 discussion with the representatives of central trade unions on 5th December 2018. Representatives of all the central trade unions attended the meeting. CITU was represented by its president Hemalata.
The central trade unions jointly presented their views in a note to the Finance Minister. In her intervention Hemalata demanded that the Group of Ministers constituted under the chairmanship of the Finance Minister in 2015 to discuss the demands raised by the trade unions should continue discussions with them and resolve their demands. Instead of focussing on improving ‘ease of doing business’ to benefit the corporates, the government should focus on improving India’s position in ‘Global hunger index’ and closing down the ‘gender gap’ This should be done by increasing allocations for social sector including health and education, to the ICDS, National Health Mission, Midday Meal Programme etc that serve the poor, particularly women and children. ILC recommendations on recognising ‘scheme workers’ as ‘workers’, paying minimum wages to them etc should be implemented.
The government should take strict measures against tax default by big business and corporates. It should focus on employment generation increasing public expenditure on infrastructure. All vacant posts in various government departments including railways etc should be filled up by fresh recruitment. The necessary financial resources should be generated by taxing the rich who have the capacity to pay.
