Srinagar: CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami on Monday led a protest in Srinagar to mark International Labour Day, demanding the implementation of the Minimum Wages Act in letter and spirit while abolishing the contractual system of employment.
He alleged that contractual and daily-wage employees, particularly in the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and the National Health Mission (NHM), were deprived of basic minimum wages.
“Our demand is that minimum fixed wages be given to every worker as set by the labour conference,” Tarigami told reporters after the protest at Residency Road here.
The Left leader said Kashmir has a history of struggles against labour exploitation.
“In Zaldagar Kashmir, labourers had protested for their rights even before the May Day protests in Chicago in 1886. Workers here had fought against the taxes imposed by the then government,” he added.
While the Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) had organized the protest rally, several trade and social unions also joined it to draw the attention of the government towards the plight of the labor class.
Dozens of daily-rated, contractual, seasonal and need-base workers were part of the rally from Polo Ground to Press Enclave here this afternoon.
CITU while expressing disappointment over the plight of the working class in India including J&K alleged that the center has always ignored the Trade Union movement, whose contribution and sacrifices are beyond imagination.
Tarigami, while lamenting the “casual approach” of the government in fulfilling the demands of daily-rated, contractual, seasonal and need-based workers of several departments, pressed for the implementation of Minimum Wages Act in J&K.
He said the government is not implementing labor laws and even minimum wages are also being denied to the poor workers.
“This step-motherly treatment being meted out to the working class has exposed the government and its anti-people policies. The apex court direction for equal-work-equal-wage is not being implemented. Construction workers working in different projects (in private as well as government sector) have been left to fend for themselves as authorities are least bothered about their welfare,” Tarigami added.
Paying rich tributes to Chicago martyrs, the former legislator said that they laid the foundation of a struggle against the exploitation and atrocities on the artisans, a prominent section of the working class.
Meanwhile several employees’ unions also staged a protest at the Press Enclave here to press for the fulfillment of their demands including release of pending salaries and regularization.
Carrying placards which read “Regularize our services, Implement Minimum Wages Act”, scores of the members of Casual and Daily Wagers Forum urged the government to consider their regularization on priority and release their wages without further delay.
They said the administration has never been serious about fulfilling their genuine demands, thereby forcing them to come on the roads to highlight their plight.
