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Social Security Bill falls short of our expectations, says forum

Special Correspondent

Says it proposes only establishment of a National Advisory Board

OPPOSING THE BILL: (From left) R. Geetha, South Regional Coordinator, National Campaign Committee for Unorganised Sector Workers; R. Leelavathi, president, National Campaign Committee; S. Bhatnagar, coordinator, National Campaign Committee; and T.S. Sankaran, former Additional Labour Secretary, at a seminar in Chennai on Sunday.

CHENNAI: The National Campaign Committee for Unorganised Sector Workers (NCC-USW) will protest the proposed introduction of the social security legislation for the unorganised sector workers.

At a national seminar on ‘Central Comprehensive Legislation for Unorganised Sector Workers’ here on Sunday, NCC-USW South Regional Coordinator R. Geetha said the legislation was not on the desired lines. The NCC-USW should have had a role in formulation and administration of the policy and in resolving disputes through a tripartite body at the appropriate level.

“We had urged the Centre to provide social security cover to over 40 crore workers. But what the Centre proposed was the setting up of a National Advisory Board. We totally oppose the diluted version of our demands and this should be changed,” she said.

T S Sankaran, former Additional Labour Secretary, Union Government, said the need of the hour was a comprehensive social security and regulation of employment through a single piece of legislation.

The Central and State Governments should contribute at least three per cent of their revenue to social security, until it reached three per cent of the GDP.

The Centre should spell out the minimum benefits that would be offered to workers under healthcare , life and disability cover and old age protection.

A.K. Roy, former MP from Dhanbad, Jharkhand, called upon the workers to start a ‘green struggle’ to get justice. “No Bill and no deliberation can ever bring justice. Don’t be under the illusion that we are going to get some benefits. The Law for the Unorganised Sector Workers had been rewritten several times, and what we see now is a diluted version. In the name of liberalisation and globalisation, workers are being replaced by machines. We have to shake the shackles of the present system to get justice and minimum facilities.”

NCC-USW coordinator S. Bhatnagar felt that even agriculture workers should have provisions for both social security and regulation of employment. “Before the next general election, the social security should reach a considerable section of the unorganised sector workers, or else we would not vote for the UPA partners just because a paper Bill had been passed by Parliament,” he warned.

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