Labour Day: Awareness seminars, formation of unions for house helps discussed

A daily wage labourers’ organisation also conducted a discussion at Deva Road, for about 76 labourers and daily wagers, who were made aware of their rights and privileges, and the various government schemes

Even though elaborate functions were not arranged for labourers in the city due to civic polls being round the corner, some unions did find time to get together for an evening to discuss labour laws, raise concerns regarding their community, and debate ways to put forth their demands to the administration.

Around 76 daily wage labourers came together for a discussion on the significance of Labour Day, and to debate ways to put forth their needs for better facilities and higher wages in front of the administration. (HT Photo)

India Labour Line, a non-profit for advocacy for those working in the informal sector, held a meeting with 35 women who work as domestic help in houses, speaking to them about the different insurances and benefits they can avail under various government schemes.

However, the women pointed out that there are no labour laws protecting the community of domestic labourers - which opens them up to exploitation by employers. “They fire us without paying us, or, accuse us of thievery if they don’t want to pay us the amount we ask. We cannot go to anyone to have these problems addressed,” they said.

At the meeting it was decided that committees of domestic workers will be created in different localities and representatives will be assigned who can then jointly take the matter to labour department officials.

India Labour Line hopes to facilitate the making of these committees by the end of this month. “It is true that they do not have any legal recourse per se, if their employers mistreat them. The first step is to bring in laws for the protection of their rights, only then can they demand that those laws be respected,” said Guru Prasad, state coordinator for India Labour Line.

Another daily wage labourers’ organisation also conducted a discussion at Deva Road, for about 76 labourers and daily wagers, who were made aware of their rights and privileges, and the various government schemes that they can make use of.

State president of the Dihari Mazdoor Sangathan, Uttar Pradesh (daily wage labourers’ association), Ramnath, said that there are issues faced by labourers that still need improvement. He called attention to the fact that minimum wages for labourers are too low, and not nearly enough to support their families. Moreover, neither are basic facilities available at labourer bases like shaded toilets, nor are there arrangements for labourers who have duties of standing throughout their working hours. Santosh Yadav, state general secretary of the organisation, pointed out a silver lining, speaking about the significance of the labour movement said, “Friends, if today we are able to get fair wages for eight hours of work, it is only because of the labour movement that began 137 years ago in Chicago and trickled to the rest of the world.”