E-Paper
In meet with labour ministry, trade unions say ‘cannot hold migrants captive’
The Centre has made an exception for the stranded people and allowed them to travel even as inter-state borders remain closed as part of the national lockdown.
Representatives of trade union organisations on Wednesday held a meeting with Union labour minister Santosh Gangwar via video conferencing and appealed against the use of coercion to stop migrants workers from returning to their homes, sought more trains for them to do so amid the Covid-19 crisis and incentives for their return to their host states.
“They [workers] should be provided incentives to return to host states such as cash, electronic passes, free train tickets etc. You cannot hold them captive,” said CK Saji Narayanan, the head of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s labour wing, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh.
Narayanan’s comments came a day after Karnataka withdrew a request sent to the Railways to provide trains to ferry migrants from the state back to their homes towns. The development came after representatives from the construction industry met chief minister BS Yediyurappa and expressed concerns about labour shortage if the migrants went back. Over 50,000 people had registered to go back to Bihar alone.
The Centre has made an exception for the stranded people and allowed them to travel even as inter-state borders remain closed as part of the national lockdown.
At the meeting with Gangwar, the BMS opposed the extension of working hours at factories in several states, saying it violated International Labour Organization conventions and labour laws. “Many are fleeing due to lack of proper treatment. Industrial associations, trade unions, government officials and local elected representatives should collectively undertake a campaign to retain labour at the workplaces...,” Narayanan said. He urged the ministry to ask states to stop pay cuts, and frame regulations and guidelines on automation, robotics etc.
The All India Trade Union Congress demanded sufficient trains for workers to return to their home states and improvement in ration distribution. “We asked for the implementation of the ministry’s own advisories in regard to payment of wages, no retrenchment...,” AITUC general secretary Amarjeet Kaur said in a statement after the meeting.
As per a statement issued by the ministry, Gangwar pointed out that there is a need to find solutions to the challenges for workers. He asked the Central Trade Union Organizations to suggest measures .
