Amidst the country lockdown due to Coronavirus outbreak, Trade Unions write to PM Modi asking for financial aid for daily wage labourers.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, both Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) made a list of demands which include sufficient budget allocation as a relief who do not get their wages or who have shut down their units due to crisis, distribution of essential commodities through PDS and make available essential medicines at affordable prices to everyone, among other things.
“The government should urgently transfer Rs 5000 as income support/ wage relief to every worker in the unorganized sector as well as other unpaid workers through DBT (Direct benefit transfer) by depositing directly to their bank accounts for subsistence for one month. Such money will sustain the purchasing power of people and if spent, will activate the market and economic activities without getting paralyzed,” the BMS wrote to Prime Minister Modi, according to BMS National President Saji Narayanan.
CITU general secretary Tapan Sen also wrote to Prime Minister today asking the Government to ensure the transfer of Rs 5000 for the workers in the unorganized and informal sector workers aged up to 25 years and Rs 10,000 to those above 25 years on a monthly basis through their bank Jan-Dhan accounts.
He accused the Centre of “criminal negligence”. “People are starving and dying. Unorganised workers such as construction workers and truck drivers are left with no subsistence allowance. The Centre should immediately release funds for them,” Sen said.
According to Business Lines, In a letter to Modi, he urged the government to announce statutorily enforceable measures by the Centre and States, without further delay. “These should, inter alia, include: Protecting the livelihood and earnings of workers by compelling the private business, along with the PSU management to ensure the protection of jobs, earnings and social security benefits both for their regular workers as well as the contract and casual workers.
AITUC general secretary Amarjeet Kaur said in a statement that the daily wagers, casual, migrant agriculture workers or hawkers-vendors and domestic workers are losing their livelihood.
“They need immediate financial relief, free ration and free fuel to cook food. Food should be provided from Government-run outlets for destitutes. This requires a big economic package from the government. The clean drinking water and sanitation are essential and especially in this pandemic situation,” she said.
Both the BMS and CITU leaders pointed out that the worst hit in the coronavirus crisis would be the daily wage workers in the unorganized sector.
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