The Hindu : National : Unions demand legislation for unorganised sector

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Friday, Dec 09, 2005

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National

Unions demand legislation for unorganised sector

Special Correspondent

Bill still not finalised; memo submitted to PMO

NEW DELHI: Hundreds of trade union activists and workers from the unorganised sector assembled here on Thursday to demand enactment of a comprehensive legislation on labour rights.A memorandum was submitted at the Prime Minister's Office to highlight their demands.

In a resolution adopted at the rally, the workers expressed resentment over the "inaction" of the United Progressive Alliance Government in taking steps to enact comprehensive legislation for the unorganised sector workers — a commitment under the national common minimum programme (NCMP). It was 18 months since the UPA Government had come to power but the Unorganised Sector Workers Bill could not be finalised, though the Government had lost no time in bringing several pieces of legislation for the benefit of employers such as the Pension Regulatory Bill and the bills proposed to amend labour laws, the resolution said. Such an `anti-worker' approach would not be tolerated, they added.

Those who addressed the rally included Chittabrata Majumdar, W.R. Varadarajan and M.K. Pandhe of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions who stressed upon the need for intensifying the countrywide struggle by unorganised sector workers.

Basudev Acharia and Brinda Karat of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said they would raise the just demands of the workers in Parliament.

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