CITU resents Centre’s apathy on demands of scheme workers

FROM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR, Jan 20: In a memorandum signed by representatives of Sadou Assam Madhyan Bhojan Karmachari Union, Asom Rajjiyeek Asha Karmi Union and Asom Rajjiyeek Anganwadi Aru Sahayeeka under the banner of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Cachar and Hailakandi District Committee, addressed to the Minister of Human Resources, New Delhi, and submitted through the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar today resented the lack of initiative on the part of Central government to resolve the demands of scheme workers.

Listing their litany of allegations, all the three organizations in one voice regretted that the BJP led Central government decreased the budget allotment of Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). They point out that this is an indication of the indifference of the Centre to the demand of declaring scheme workers as the government employee and to pay them the minimum wage of Rs.18,000 each month. Nor is the Central government, according to them, taking any initiative for the implementation of the resolution of 45th Labour Conference where declarations were made about the minimum wages, pension, medical benefits as well as social security.

In view of the social and economic problems faced by the scheme workers in different fields, CITU has demanded increase in the budget allocation for all schemes, providing minimum wages of Rs.18,000 and declaring all scheme workers as government employees, besides ensuring social security with the package of pension and medical benefits. Before the submission of the memorandum, hundreds of scheme workers marched down from rsingtola ground to the office of the Deputy Commissioner, raising their voice of protest against the policy of the Central government.