Karnataka minister urges MSMEs to pay dignified wages to retain workers
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister Sharan Prakash Patil on Friday urged industries, particularly MSMEs, to pay workers wages that ensure a dignified life in Bengaluru.
Inaugurating the MSME and Employment Opportunities Conclave organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Patil expressed concern over low pay in the sector, saying it was causing high attrition despite the availability of skilled manpower.
"I have come across several cases where skilled and qualified employees from tier-two and tier-three regions of Karnataka quit their jobs here and return to their native places due to meagre salaries. How can a person from Kalaburagi survive here on a monthly salary of just Rs 20,000?" he asked.
The issue arose during an interaction session when several MSME industrialists flagged a shortage of skilled workers and said existing employees were leaving to join larger industries.
The state minister for medical education and skill development noted that MSMEs are the largest employment generators in Karnataka and across the country, but said talent retention remains a major challenge due to low wages.
"I am not asking MSMEs to match salaries offered by the tech sector, but employees must be paid decently in accordance with their skills and talent to live with dignity in Bengaluru," he said.
Acknowledging that industries need workers with diverse skill sets, the minister assured the industry body that his department would organise sector-specific job fairs to meet the needs of MSMEs.
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China confirms its support to Pakistan during four-day conflict with India
Beijing (PTI): China, for the first time, has confirmed that it provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during the four-day conflict with India last year, official media reports here said.
China's state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday aired an interview with Zhang Heng, an engineer from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China's (AVIC) Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, a key developer of China’s advanced fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle design.
Zhang had provided technical support to Pakistan during the four-day war last May, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported, quoting CCTV.
Pakistan's air force operates a fleet of Chinese-made J-10CE jets, produced by an AVIC subsidiary.
"At the support base, we frequently heard the roar of fighter jets taking off and the constant wail of air-raid sirens. By late morning, in May, the temperature was already approaching 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically,” Zhang said.
What drove his team was the "desire to do an even better job with on site support” and to ensure their equipment could “truly perform at its full combat potential”, Zhang told CCTV.
“That wasn’t just a recognition of the J10CE; it was also a testament to the deep bond we formed through working side by side, day in and day out,” he said.
