This was one of the action points adopted at the end of the three-day conference on `Indian industrial relations -- agenda for change,' organised by the Standing Conference of Public Enterprise (SCOPE) in cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, here on Saturday.

It was emphasised at the conference that government should change its mindset that with 51 per cent equity it can have 100 per cent control and with 49 per cent equity zero control.

However, the agenda for action stressed that disinvestment would not provide the answer to sickness in the public sector and also not help tackle the same issue in the private sector.

The public-sector reforms, it was pointed out, would prove politically unfeasible and economically unviable in the context of growing unemployment and underemployment.

The agenda for action adopted at the Standing Conferenceof Public Enterprise conference also underlined the need for reviewing the archaic labour laws which have become irrelevant in the post-Independence and post-liberalisation era.

Later briefing newsmen about the conference, International Management Institute (IMI) professor CS Venkata Ratnam said many countries like China and Vietnam have changed their labour laws in tandem with the new market realities and it was time for India to do away with the outdated laws and institutions.

The conference, among others, was attended by representatives of employers, trade unions, executives of the public-sector undertakings and officials from the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Venkata Ratnam said the Labour Code prepared by the National Labour Law Associations be considered as the starting point for further simplification of legal framework. At present there were as many as 165 pieces of legislations concerning labour issues. The agenda, adopted at the end of the conference, also favoured modifications inthe Bonus Act with the intention of providing stronger link between bonus and productivity.

With regard to labour policy, the agenda states that it should stress support for observance of a minimal number of core/basic labour standards; free trade unions and collective bargaining; workforce institutions capable of internationalising enforcement of labour standards/government regulations and effecting changes at micro level smoothly; investment in education and training; and bringing entire labour force under the purview of minimal, but effective-rational and rationalised regulatory/administrative framework. The agenda also underlined the need for creation of an autonomous industrial relations commission at national and state level. This recommendation was earlier made by the National Commission of Labour but has yet to be implemented.

The agenda also suggested for a constant review of the role of the legislature, executive and judiciary which was being evolved.

In view of the globalisation which wasleading to a shift towards decentralised industrial relations, the agenda suggested the need for creating and strengthening institutions/mechanisms for information sharing, consulting, communication and consensus development at enterprise/firm level.