Second generation and labour reforms a must says Vajpayee
New Delhi: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today said the government would not go back on labour law reforms.

He urged labour unions and unorganised workers to help, not hinder a process which could be painful in the interim but ultimately would lead to more job creation for Indian labour.

Speaking about second-generation reforms he said, "The world would not wait if we choose to be slow and half hearted in our reform march."

He was speaking at the 37th Indian Labour Conference, where he announced that the Rs 150 crore welfare fund scheme for agriculture labour would begin from 1 July this year.

He said eventually this scheme could be expanded to cover every rickshaw puller, roadside vendor etc.

Vajpayee said the challenge for the government at the moment was to harmonise the varying views on economic reforms. He said trade unions fear a threat to employment from economic reforms, private and PSU managements feel reforms are not yielding optimal results as they are not complemented by administrative, judicial and labour reforms and workers apprehend that changes in existing labour laws will place them at the mercy of employers. He said he saw merit in the perceptions.

Vajpayee also acknowledged the need to "calibrate the pace and extent of external liberalisation to fully protect and promote our national interests".

He added that training and retraining of PSU workers would be an important component in the programme of restructuring government-owned enterprise.
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TRAI announces rent norms for WLL mobile phone
New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on Friday announced a floor price of Rs 450 per month for basic telephones with limited mobility, and pegged the ceiling at Rs 550.
In case the monthly rental charged was below the lower limit specified by TRAI, the subscriber would not be charged the additional amount except that the lower limit specified by the authority would become effective from the date of notification of the monthly rental by the TRAI.
TRAI also directed the existing operators providing wireless in local loop mobile services, to refund the amount in excess of the ceiling of Rs 550 to the various subscribers in case their monthly rental was above the ceiling.
With this monthly rental, the tariff plan for the affordable and controversial WLL service works out as free incoming calls, Rs 1.20 for a three-minute outgoing call and minimum monthly rental of Rs 450.
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