By IANS,
New Delhi : The Prime Minister’s Office Monday deferred a meeting with apex chambers scheduled here Monday to discuss how the interests of workers from socially backward sections can be protected in the wake of lay-offs by the corporate sector due to economic slowdown.
No reason was assigned for deferring the meeting, scheduled against the backdrop of Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes stating that an estimated 65,000 people lost their jobs between August and October, as India Inc has been hit by the recession in key economies.
Representatives of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) were to attend the Monday meeting.
The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has been putting much emphasis on affirmative action by the industry for SCs and STs to upgrade their social and economic lot.
Manmohan Singh had himself put job quotas in the private sector on the national agenda by calling on industry to voluntarily extend affirmative action, saying it was time India Inc acknowledged the value of diversity and broad-based its workforce.
The prime minister’s principal secretary T.K.A. Nair heads the coordination committee on affirmative action that monitors the implementation of affirmative action by the industry.