CITU state chief says Govts not implementing minimum pay

CITU state chief says Govts not implementing minimum pay

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 25, 2016: Addressing a gathering at district-level labour convention in Udupi, CITU, Centre of Indian Trade Unions state president V J K Nayyar was critical that consecutive governments have utterly failed to ensure the basic minimum wages to the labour class. The CITU leader said the concept of need-based minimum wage has not been realised. It is still a distant dream for the labour class.

He condemned the increasing inflation and the government’s failure to curb the price hike indeed creating a situation of misery for the working class. The minimum wages should be at least Rs 18,000, he said. The price hike is posing severe livelihood threats since at least 3 decades. The labourers are paid maximum of Rs 7,000. In 2009, the demand for minimum wages was Rs 10,000 and the demand at present is Rs 18,000, he said.

As per the recent notification, the civic labourers should be paid Rs 14,500 as wage and additional allowances of Rs 3,000 owing to the difficult assignments they perform. However, there is no such provision made available to the civic labourers. He said the contractual system, which is the major evil, should be stopped and until the contract system is in existence, the solution for the minimum wages is not possible. The indigenous industrial set up is facing the threat of extinction owing to the massive globalisation activities, he said.

Modi-led NDA government has initiated the new system in ESI, where the medical coverage benefits would not be available for the pre-existing diseases. He demanded that the inflation should be curbed and the Public Distribution System should be introduced effectively. The employment generation should be taken up and stringent action should be taken against the people who violet the Labor Law, he added.

He demanded that mass social security should be offered to the labour class and minimum wages of Rs 18,000 should be ensured. The withdrawal of public sector investments by the state and central government should be stopped. The contract system should be stopped and the contract labourers should be treated on par with the permanent labourers in terms of wages. The privilege of bonus and provident fund should be hiked. The government should not introduce any anti labor amendments in the labor law. He added that Karnataka labour convention should be formed and the labour court should be set up in every district. The contract labourers should be made permanent. He indicated that a nationwide protest is set for September 2.