Karnataka - Belgaum   

Stand united, Kanta tells agitating weavers

By Our Staff Correspondent

BELGAUM, FEB. 23. The former Labour Minister, S.K. Kanta, saw a ray of hope in the agitation of weavers in Rabkavi and Banahatti of Bagalkot district.

The agitation has entered the 22nd day on Wednesday. The weavers are demanding minimum wages for powerloom workers.

Talking to presspersons here on Wednesday, he said there was a possibility of the agitation achieving its objective if the weavers remained united in their fight.

Criticising the lethargy on part of the Government and the Minister of State for Labour, Tanvir Sait, he said Mr. Sait should respond to the agitation and take steps to redress the weavers' long-pending grievances.

He said the Union and State Governments had let down the unorganised workers employed in various sectors, including the textile industry.

In the State, though a Bill (Unorganised Labour Act) was introduced in the legislature by the former Labour and Welare Minister, A.M. Hindasageri, the two Houses of the legislature had failed to give it a concrete shape which would have helped in protecting the rights and interests of unorganised workers.

Political parties or legislators do not seem to be interested in working for the betterment of the workers in unorganised sector.

He pointed out at the failure of the Government to implement the recommendations of the Joint Select Committee on the Welfare of Unorganised Labourers.

Mr. Kanta asked the weavers to file applications seeking minimum wages before the Labour Department as the Government had fixed minimum wages for all 70 schedules of employment in the unorganised sector. But the Government had failed to ensure that the employers implemented its decision.

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Stand united, Kanta tells agitating weavers

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