Labour Snippets – June 2023

WR

 

  • Manual Scavenging Deaths in India

Since March 2023, Gujarat has reported 5 deaths due to manual scavenging. In Tamil Nadu, four Dalit men and one Muslim man died due to manual scavenging since May 1st this year. Uttar Pradesh recorded four deaths in May 2023. It has been a decade since the promulgation of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, which imposes a complete ban on employing human beings to clean septic tanks, sewerage, toilet pits, etc. Still, the same continues unabated and even the deaths don’t seem to deter the State or private persons from employing people from the Dalit community to do the cleaning work. The State has turned a blind eye and there are no measures taken to ensure justice to the victims and their families, nor are there any proactive measures to stop this practice. AICCTU must continue to fight against this injustice and ensure an end to this inhuman and caste-based practice.

  • Workers Dismissed in Lotte Choco Pie

When four workers, who were office bearers of the trade union, were dismissed from work in a South-Korean company of Lotte Choco Pie in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district, the workers resorted to a sit-in strike which has been on-going since April 20th. The sole reason for the dismissal of four office-bearers of the union is the formation of a trade union to discuss the issues faced by workers, including increase in wages. Of the 60 permanent workers in the factory who have worked there for several years, 57 have been on strike. However, the work is carried on with the 100 casual labourers and 60 apprentices of National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme.

 

  • Indian Workers in Israel

In an article appearing in The Wire, titled ‘Explained: Israel Wants Thousands of Indian Workers. Here's Why’, it has been stated that so far, 18,000 Indians were employed as caregivers and accountants in Israel. Foreign Minister for Israel Eli Cohen, who visited India in May 2023, sealed a deal seeking 42,000 Indian workers to be sent to Israel, among whom 34,000 of them will be specifically working in the construction sector. Israel is reportedly having a “great shortage” in the construction and nursing sector. Earlier, Palestinians were being employed in the construction sector, however, the clashes and violence often rendered the Palestinian workers vulnerable, the article states, and thus may have contributed to the acute shortage of workers in the sector.

 

  • Healthcare workers protest in Romania

In Bucharest, thousands of healthcare workers who came from across Romania, organized a protest seeking higher wages, more recruitment of staff, better working conditions, etc., and pointed to the fact that the shortfalls in the sector was leading to a decline in the standards of medical service. The protest was organized by the “Health Solidarity Federation”. An increase in wages means an increase in the quality of healthcare, with wage investment proving to be the best investment for public health, said the Federation. When Romania joined the European Union, several thousand healthcare workers moved to other countries, looking for higher wages, which proved to be a strain on the country’s medical sector. This factor, along with the immense pressure brought about by the covid-19 pandemic on the health sector, debilitated the healthcare workers across Romania, leading to this protest.

 

  • Oil Sector Workers Protest in Venezuela

Demanding higher wages and improved working conditions, several thousand workers in the Oil Sector have taken to the streets after holding walkouts and demonstrations outside the company headquarters of Puerto La Cruz Refinery since June 1st. José Bodas Lugo, secretary-general of the Unitary Federation of Oil Workers (FUTPV), told ‘Venezuelanalysis’ – a news daily in Venezuela – that the refinery workers had declared themselves in a “permanent assembly” until they secured a response from industry authorities. The Union leader also explained that the social and economic reality of the oil industry workers and pensioners was very precarious, given that their collective contracts expired 18 months ago and there has been no progress on negotiating a new one and that their wages was insufficient. Along with their demand to increase wages, the workers have also been seeking collective bargaining rights, labour rights and health insurance.

 

  • Public Transport Workers in Germany Protest

Several thousand workers in airports, ports, railways, buses and subways are holding a ‘mega strike’ across Germany, where two of the largest workers’ unions joined forces and called for the strike. The 24-hour strike forced the government to come forward for a negotiation. The workers are demanding higher wages to keep up with the rising cost of living, who are suffering due to high prices of fuel and inflation. The union said that the workers are overworked and underpaid, which forced them to resort to the strike. The country also witnessed multiple walkouts in other public service sectors in recent weeks, including childcare and education.

 

  • Early retirements in Darjeeling tea industry

In a shocking turn of events, the Union leaders of Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatrantik Morcha (BGPM) reportedly signed a settlement with the management of Namring Tea Garden near Darjeeling whereby over 100 sub-staff workers of 162 have been forced into retirement, with cut-off date of 45 years. The agreement was a result of the failure of the management to pay earned wage to the workers, and has not been  made publicly available yet.

 

  • MNREGA workers protest non-payment of earned wages in West Bengal

Issues between the Union and West Bengal Governments have resulted in a situation where over 2,800 crore pending wages of workers are being withheld by the government and are yet to be transferred to the account of the beneficiaries. In a matter pending before the Calcutta High Court, the Union government took the stance that since March 2022, the Union government stopped released of funds and directed for payment of wages from the State Government until a satisfactory action taken report was issued by the State government on use of funds. The state government has taken the stance that the Government of India order in March 2022 is not within the scope of the MNREGA Act. However, ultimately, the workers have not been paid earned wages for the period worked under the scheme. It may be remembered that the Supreme Court has repeatedly held that non-payment of minimum wages would amount to bonded labour under Article 23 of the Constitution of India.

 

  • Asha workers in Karnataka seek for increase in ‘Honorarium’:
  • In Telengana, they are now entitled to maternity benefit

Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers employed under the National Health Mission are the foundation of rural healthcare access. However, such workers are denied the status as ‘workers’ and denied minimum wages by the government on the ground that they are not workers but voluntary activists. Hence, the Government exploits such workers by paying a so-called honorarium in the place of minimum wages. Whereas minimum wages in Karnataka exceed 10,000 rupees per month, ASHA workers are given only Rs. 5000/- per month. In Karnataka, ASHA workers affiliated to AIUTUC have sought for increase in this amount to Rs. 15,000/- per month. The Telengana Government has taken a step of providing maternity benefit to ASHA workers.

 

  • Helping Stranded Migrant Workers In the Wake of Balasore tragedy

After hundreds of migrant workers were left stranded at SMVT railway station, Bangalore, following cancellation of trains due to the Balasore railway tragedy, AICCTU Karnataka took a leading role in ensuring that State support like food, etc., was ensured to such workers and trains were arranged to enable return to their respective states.

 

  • Dharna Against Silicosis and Other Occupational Diseases in West Bengal

The Coordination committee, including AICCTU, has sought for implementation of the rehabilitation policy of the government to ensure rehabilitation of patients suffering from the occupational disease of silicosis including unauthorised stone crushers.

 

  • JCTU protests in support of Wrestlers’ struggle against sexual harassment

The Joint Action Committee of Trade Unions (JCTU) of Bangalore protested in support of the wrestlers, who have been agitating against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh, who has not been arrested despite serious sexual harassment allegations (including allegations of sexual harassment of a minor) having been levelled against him.

 

  • Protection for medical staff and doctors

After severe comments from the Kerala High Court, the Kerala government has promulgated the Kerala Health Care Service Workers and Health Care Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Amendment Ordinance, 2012 with the purpose of safeguarding healthcare workers including staff, security guards, ambulance drivers, helpers, doctors and medical students. The said ordinance has been sent for the approval of the Governor. Parallelly, lawyers across India have been demanding for Advocates Protection Laws that will specially protect lawyers and law professionals.

 

  • Settlement in Maruti Supplier Bellsonica Company

The Bellsonica Mazdoor Union has entered into a settlement with the management on the 29th day of the union’s dharna at the company’s gates in respect to the suspension of 13 workers and the retrenchment of 17 workers. The parties have agreed that the 13 suspended workers will be taken back in a phased manner subject to outcome of domestic enquiry report, and an amicable solution on humanitarian grounds will be sought to be found in respect of 17 terminated workers. No disciplinary action will be taken against the workers involved in the tool-down strike. Whereas such a settlement will protect the workers involved in the strike, it may also prove a hollow victory for the targeted union office bearers who were suspended and retrenched. n