The 44th Indian Labour Conference will be held tomorrow, 14th February at New Delhi. Representatives of the Government, employees and employers will participate in the Conference and discuss and take decisions on the important labour issues. The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is expected to inaugurate the ILC and Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Minister of Labour and Employment will preside. Comrades A.K.Padmanabhan, President, Tapan Sen, General Secretary, Dev Roy and Hemalatha, Secretaries will be participating from the CITU.
The meeting is very important since the working class is going on an unprecedented united strike on 28th February on the important demands of the workers. All the Central Trade Unions have given strike notice today. The issues of contract workers as also the anti-workers bills/acts of the government will be in the discussions. There is a big agenda, including the Minimum wage, the criteria for fixing the minimum wages, Amendment to the labour rules etc. The employers are expected to defend their anti-worker positions. Anyway this ILC will be an important Conference.
VAN Namboodiri's Blog 
The time has come for the industry to give a reasonable and decent minimum wages without the legislations by the Government. The Minimum Wages Act should be overhauled to make it Living Wages Act.
The labour leaders should also read the writing on the wall that the contract labour has become a reality and their indeavour should be get the contract labour decent wages and other amenities. There should not be any provision for its compulsory absorption in the industry. The Act should be stand alone Act not linked to any other Act and it should deal with with the amenities to be given to the contract labour. If the industry violates this, there sholuld be a reulatory authority to look into these and award the amenities not paid by the industry. The matter will be finally settled there as there is nol case for absorption. However, the employer wheeveer recruits permanent employees may use the pool of contract labour as a source for recruitment. This ILC should be able to break some ice on this.
The labour can of course go for strike etc., as it is a right available to them. What comes out of such actions should be seen by the new generation and it is for them to decide.