• Investment World
• eWorld
• Catalyst
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest

Stocks

• Quotes
• SE Diary
• Scoreboard
• Open-End Mutual Fund

Shipping

• Ports
  
  

Archives

• Yesterday
• Datewise
• Resources

Group Sites

• The Hindu
• Business Line
• The Sportstar
• Frontline
• The Hindu eBooks
• The Hindu Images

Our Bureau

New Delhi , Oct. 22

THE Communist Party of India (Marxist) has said that it is open to the idea of having discussions with the Government on the controversial issue of opening up foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail trade.

"When we resume talks (under the UPA-Left Coordination committee), we will take up FDI in retail trade and make our concerns heard. We think FDI in retail trade will displace employment. We are prepared to have discussions with the Government. We are also prepared to discuss the international experiences," Mr Prakash Karat, CPI (M) General Secretary, said at a meeting organised by the Forum of Financial Writers here on Saturday.He also made it clear that the party's concerns on FDI in retail trade were "not just pre-conceived ideological positions." Mr Karat said the party had received a number of representations on the issue from trade bodies and individual traders.

Mr Karat said though the party had already held internal discussions on the issue, the matter had not been formally broached with the Government.

"Our stand on FDI in retail has already been discussed in the party's central committee, which is the highest decision-making body. We have not had substantive discussions with the Government on the issue. We have not finalised a note to be given to the Government," he said.

After a gap of four months, the UPA-Left Coordination committee will meet on October 27.

On the issue of disinvestment, which had led to the collapse of the coordination mechanism, Mr Karat said with the Government ruling out disinvestment in BHEL and other navratnas, the CPI(M) would be willing to discuss the issue of selling shares of non-navratna public sector enterprises.

"In the case of BHEL and eight other PSU navratnas, an assurance has been given that divestment will not happen. They (Government) say that shares would be sold in some other PSUs. As far as I am concerned, navratna was an issue and this has been resolved. On other PSUs, they had said that we would discuss the matter separately. We are now ready to discuss this matter," he said.

Mr Karat said the Centre should adopt the West Bengal model for PSU-reforms. "We don't want public sector reforms in a manner that does not strengthen it. We don't want public sector to be run as government departments," he said. On PSUs that have become unviable, he pointed out that the Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises (BRPSE) could take the units case by case.

On nominating politicians to PSU boards, Mr Karat described it as a "bad idea."

To educate IT, BPO employees on union benefits

Mr Karat said that the party would strive to `educate' workers in the information technology industry and the BPO sector about the benefits of organising themselves into trade unions.

At the same time, the party would also hold internal discussions to have clarity on the issues relating to trade union movement in IT and BPO sectors.

"We will work with IT employees and tell them the benefits of having an union. We will explain that it is good for them to form unions," Mr Karat said.

However, he said, the aspect of forming trade unions couldn't be thrust upon employees. ``No one can impose unions on them from outside,'' he said.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Infosys contribution nothing compared to other IT cos: Gowda

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line