Unorganised workers plan statewide protest
Advisor of TN Domestic Workers Union P Clara said they were ready for the long-haul of protest to win their labour rights. “If the code sets on to motion, the welfare board will be inoperative. So, we want the government to say no to it,” she said.
CHENNAI: Disappointed over the DMK government’s lack of ‘political will’ to take a firm stand against the Union government’s labour codes to safeguard the state labour laws and unorganised workers’ welfare boards, a conglomeration of forums was gearing up for an indefinite hunger protest and series of demonstrations across the state.
Minister for Labour Welfare and Skill Development C Ganesan, in the policy note, said the department would draft rules for all labour codes, which would subsume the existing 29 labour welfare laws, and they would be finalised after due consultation with all the stakeholders. “We have been protesting and demanding the government to categorically reject the anti-labour codes to safeguard the state laws. If the codes come into effect, the welfare boards will cease to exist. But the government is lacking a political will to firm stand as it took in the NEET issue,” said R Geetha of the Unorganised Workers Federation.
The federation along with 10 other unions of unorganised workers have decided to launch an indefinite hunger protest in Chennai and also in all district headquarters on a regular basis.
“Since the minister did not make an announcement regarding the labour codes and other demands in the Assembly, the protests are likely to kick-start on May 1 or a week earlier,” Geetha further said. The demand of the federation was to introduce a cess to generate corpus funds for other welfare boards and enhance the pension to unorganised workers from Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000.
“We sent a proposal to the government in December last year to enhance the pension for the registered members of our welfare board. Though our board has sufficient funds to take care of it, the remaining welfare boards lack funds, “ said member of the TN Construction Workers Welfare Board P Ganesan.
Advisor of TN Domestic Workers Union P Clara said they were ready for the long-haul of protest to win their labour rights. “If the code sets on to motion, the welfare board will be inoperative. So, we want the government to say no to it,” she said.
The Unorganised Workers Federation also sought introduction of cess to generate corpus funds
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