The United Nations, led by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), organised a bipartite virtual dialogue with some of the central trade unions on Wednesday on supporting the recovery of MSMEs post lockdown.
The ILO said in a statement that MSMEs are facing working capital depletion, low demand, workforce deficit due to reluctance of workers, especially, migrants to return to work and others. “It risks pushing many MSMEs out of business, with potential massive job losses and compromises in the working conditions of workers and to environment and communities,” it said and added that the United Nations is willing to support bipartite initiative on how are MSMEs proceeding preparations for restarting, recovering and reviving their business.
BMS president Saji Narayanan, who attended the meeting, suggested that ILO and other UN agencies can think of forming a task force with the tripartite constitution to assess the actual impact on different sectors and suggest immediate solutions with a country-centric perspective. “When we look at the labour protection in MSMEs, the lockdown in India pursuant to the pandemic has created many workplace issues such as no pay, delayed pay or reduced pay. Several workers have lost their jobs. Employers refused to give paid holidays and many reduced their workforce. Contractors are seen deserting workers in crowded camps. Hence we need to evolve India specific solutions, “he said.
He said many MSMEs are in dire difficulties to pay the wage bills for the lockdown period.