CFTUI demands ₹26,000 as minimum wages for all categories of workers

The Confederation of Free Trade Unions of India (CFTUI) has demanded provision of ESI coverage to construction workers with contributions from the welfare fund and providing health schemes, maternity benefits, life and disability insurance coverage to all workers registered on the e-Shram portal.

CFTUI national president N. Kanaka Rao, in a statement, demanded that the government implement a minimum wage of ₹26,000 per month, for all categories of workers, including unorganised, agricultural, contract workers and scheme workers, as well as provision of a pension of ₹9,000 as social security.

He noted that the proposed all-India strike on July 9 is to oppose the anti-labour policies of the Central government. The strike calls for implementing of international labour standards, adherence to ILO conventions, recommendations, protocols, and declarations, as well as commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2030).

Demanding immediate repeal of the four labour codes, he noted that there should be no casualisation of work in any form like outsourcing, fixed-term employment, apprentice trainees under various pretexts. He sought immediate implementation of equal pay for equal work for contract workers, registration of domestic workers, hawkers, rag-pickers, domestic workers, construction workers, migrant workers, scheme workers, agricultural workers, loading/unloading workers, gig workers, salt-pan workers, beedi workers, toddy tappers, rickshaw-pullers, auto/rickshaw/taxi drivers and portability of comprehensive social security including pension.

Legal guarantee for seeds and fertilizers should be provided apart from increasing input subsidy to farmers on electricity. The other demands include: withdrawal of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022, stopping the privatisation of electricity, to do away with the proposal for installation of pre-paid smart meters, making the right to work a fundamental right, provide employment to the unemployed along with filling the sanctioned posts, implement the Urban Employment Guarantee Act, guarantee free education, health, water and sanitation for all.

The CFTUI leader also sought formulating a comprehensive policy on migrant workers, strengthening the existing Inter-State Migrant Workers (Regulation of Employment) Act, 1979, providing portability of their social security cover, taxing the super rich: increasing corporate tax, reintroducing wealth tax, inheritance tax, and stopping the attack on the core values of the Constitution such as freedom of expression, right to dissent, freedom of religion, diverse cultures, languages, equality before law and federal structure of the nation.