SHILLONG, Nov 13: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Federation of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) and Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) have demanded a state employment policy for reserving jobs for locals in the private and unorganised sectors and for defining the responsibilities and role towards the employees.
FKJGP president Dundee Cliff Khongsit told The Shillong Times that the private sector can play a crucial role in resolving the unemployment problem in the state. “We want the state government to come up with such a policy for specifying the percentage of jobs needed to be reserved for the local youth in the private sector,” he said on Sunday.
This is because there are more jobs in the private sector than in the public sector, he added.
Khongsit said the government should find out the manpower the private and unorganised sectors need. He referred to the State Industrial Policy that seeks 80% reservation for locals in jobs for the unskilled and 50% in technical posts.
“The government can make it mandatory for any firm that wants to set up a business or industry in the state to reserve a certain percentage of jobs for the locals,” he said.
The FKJGP president claimed the youths working in the private sector are harassed and suffer from job insecurity.
“It is the pressure groups that intervene when the youths report such problems. This is why a policy is needed to specify the role and responsibilities of the private sector employers,” he added.
KSU president Lambokstar Marngar echoed similar views to justify the demand for an employment policy. He said the union had pressed for such a policy in April 2018.
“Job reservation cannot be ensured without such a policy. The private sector, specifically the industrial units, is yet to contribute in terms of employing the local youth,” he said.
The reservation for locals is mostly for menial jobs, he pointed out. “The industries recruit people from outside when it comes to specialised jobs,” he added.
Marngar advocated an overhaul of the industrial policy. “It is high time for the government to review and revamp the industrial policy according to the current needs and situation,” he said.
The government can always shut down any industry that fails to adhere to the guidelines in the revised policy, he said.
HYC president Robertjune Kharjahrin said central government institutions such as NEIGRIHMS, NEHU and IIM outsource grade 3 and grade 4 jobs to private firms. The firms that bag the contracts should give preference to the local youth.
“Without a state employment policy, the private firms can do as they like to deprive the local youths,” he said.
