A joint forum of ten central unions decided to boycott online consultations on budget funds with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on November 28, demanding a face-to-face meeting with a timetable for the exchange.
Pre-budget consultation is an annual activity in which representatives from various sectors make proposals and identify requirements that need to be addressed throughout the budget. “Now, your email dated November 25, 2022 has been indicated,” the forum said in a letter sent on Friday, making it clear that any central federation would be allowed to speak in three minutes. This is a joke and we refuse to participate in it. Cheap joke. We will not participate in the proposed video conference on November 28, 2022.”
Last Friday, in a letter to the Finance Ministry, the Forum came together to oppose the video conferencing restriction of pre-budget consultations.
“We are forced to express our disappointment that we almost had this meeting despite the full easing of Covid restrictions and in just 75 minutes to consult with more than a dozen federations, perhaps more than a letter of invitation. According to the actual verification of the Ministry of Labor, there are 12 central trade unions in our country. That means less than five minutes or even less per organization, if the time for the usual opening remarks is included," said the Forum.
