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Unorganised sector workers stage demonstration

PUDUCHERRY: Rallying under the banner of the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), workers belonging to the unorganised sector staged a demonstration near the Assembly on Friday demanding disbursement of Rs.2,000 as Deepavali incentive.

Led by local CITU unit president G. Ramasamy, autorickshaw drivers, domestic workers, construction workers, tailors, coir workers, cooks and salesmen took out a procession from the old bus stand.

The activists, including a large number of women, raised slogans in support of their demands.

Puducherry CITU unit secretary K. Murugan said the demonstration was also aimed at urging the government in the Union Territory to disburse one month’s wage of the construction workers as bonus in the light of the Central government’s proposal with regard to amendment of the Bonus Act. The disbursement of bonus would benefit as many as 14,000 construction workers in the Union Territory, he added.

Recalling that the Government provided Rs. 400 as Deepavali incentive last year, he stressed the need for increasing it in view of the steep rise in the price of essential commodities.

The CITU asked the government to disburse a cash incentive through the commune panchayats instead of providing the incentive in kind distributed through the fair price shops.

Mr. Murugan asked the government to enrol domestic servants in the welfare society for the unorganised sector workers.

In Tamil Nadu, a separate welfare board has been set up for them, he pointed out.

There were 18,000 domestic servants in the Union Territory, he said, adding that they were the worst hit among the unorganised sector workers, as no social security had been provided to them by the government.

Admitting them as members of the welfare society would not be a financial burden to the government, as each member remitted Rs. 125 to Rs. 100 towards subscription and Rs. 25 as membership registration fee to the society, Mr. Murugan said.

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