In its China push, CPM skips one detail: Beijing wants own labour

When the CPM came out in support of China, making a case of "selective discrimination" against Chinese companies bidding for projects in India, it glossed over an issue which is otherwise close to its heart: labour.

Chinese companies bidding for big projects would prefer to bring in labour force from home and India opposes this. That's at the core of the current controversy.

This came to a head when China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau (CPPB), which has won the contract to build the major portion of the 1,400-km East-West gas pipeline being spearheaded by Reliance, wanted to bring a labour force of 1,800 people from China to construct about 1,000 km of this pipeline. While India is open to allowing expertise in the form of technicians, sources said, laws don't allow foreign labour to be employed in India on a large scale.

Now, the Left will have to make the difficult choice of backing Chinese companies on FDI proposals or upholding Indian labour laws which essentially stem from the logic that any kind of foreign investment in projects must spawn employment opportunities for the huge Indian labour force. Indian visa norms clearly define that employment visas cannot be given to labour force.

Having won six of the eight bidding sections on the East-West gas pipeline from Kakinada to Bharuch, sources said, CPPB was keen on doing it the way Chinese companies often operate in other developing and underdeveloped countries, particularly in Africa. This, however, was unacceptable to Indian authorities as both sides are still engaged on how to exclude certain categories of labour to cut the size from 1,800.

However, India, sources say, is open to further liberalising visa rules with China. In fact, New Delhi has moved a proposal to this effect ahead of Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit in November. This includes provision for multiple-entry business visas, more flexible tourist visas as well as setting up tourist centres in both countries to facilitate greater people-to-people contact.

... contd.

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