[Intl-tobacco] India: Trade unions oppose Tobacco Bill (fwd)

[Robert Weissman]

Trade unions oppose Tobacco Bill
by Our Special Correspondent
Source: Hindu Online, Sunday, 2/18/01

NEW DELHI, FEB. 18. All five central trade unions have written to the
Prime Minister, Mr.  A.  B.  Vajpayee, protesting the Government's move to
introduce an anti-beedi and anti-tobacco legislation in the near-future.
The letter has been appended not just by the Left unions but by
ideological fellow travellers of the BJP regime as well.

Accusing Health Ministry bureaucrats of acting under World Health
Organisation instructions, the unions have said the legislation will have
serious ramifications.

Alleging that the decade of economic reforms meant very little in terms of
increasing employment and claiming that the Finance Minister had recently
assured union representatives that the Government acknowledged the gravity
of unemployment, the unions have in a joint statement said the proposed
legislation would negate Mr. Yashwant Sinha's assurance of creating more
jobs.

Even the Lok Sabha Committee on Subordinate Legislation is of the view
that the Government should formulate an integrated policy which will fully
reflect the concerns of society and also take care of the interests of
farmers and workers, the unions have pointed out.

Therefore, the Health Ministry should be directed to initiate in- depth
discussions on the proposed legislation with representatives of beedi
workers, farmers, tobacco growers, the industry and other interests. The
Labour Ministry should also be an active participant in the discussions to
``instill confidence that the Government does not blindly tread the line
drawn by international agencies''.

The letter to the Prime Minister has been supported by the AITUC, the BMS,
the CITU, the HMS and the TUCC.