Farmers Movement Archive

Workers stage demonstration

As part of the “all-India agitation week” call given by the All-India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), workers of various government programmes, including anganwadi and midday meals, and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) staged a demonstration in Dharwad on Saturday. The all-India agitation week is being observed in opposition to the BJP-led Union government’s moves on privatisation of public sector companies, including the Railways, recent amendments to farm Bills, and anti-labour policies. The objective is to press for various demands of the workers of the unorganised and other sectors. On Saturday, a protest was taken out by the workers seeking fulfilment of various demands and a demonstration was held at Vivekanada Circle under the banner of Scheme Workers’ Federation of India (SWFI), affiliated to the AIUTUC. Addressing the protesters, district convenor of SWFI Bhuvana Ballari said that across the country, nearly one crore workers, mainly women, were working as anganwadi teachers, assistants, ASHAs, midday meal workers, and in other capacities. “Most of them are those who have to support their families, widows, and those without shelter. They are being paid Rs. 1,100 to Rs. 10,000, which cannot be compared to the minimum wages of Rs. 21,000 fixed by the International Industrial Tribunal. What is shocking is that even the meagre wages are not being paid on time,” she said. Ms. Bhuvana said that these workers lacked social security and they would have no support at all,especially after retirement. “All these schemes are run by the government, which is the owner of all the schemes. And during the lockdown, the government did not behave like a model owner,” she said. AIUTUC district president Gangadhar Badiger urged the government to fix minimum wages of Rs. 21,000 for scheme workers and said they should be treated as government employees. He urged the government to give honorarium to midday meal workers throughout the year. A memorandum containing 10 demands was then submitted to the district administration.

The Hindu

2020-10-04

HUBBALLI,KARNATAKA