By The Hindu Bureau
Copyright thehindu
The district-level AITUC conference held in Erode has urged the Central and State governments to repeal the four labour codes, abolish the contract labour system, and regularise the services of all workers who have completed 480 days of continuous work.
The conference, held on Thursday for conservancy workers, drivers, domestic breeding checkers, water tank operators and other local body staff, was presided over by district president S. Chinnasamy. Tiruppur MP and AITUC national vice-president K. Subbarayan inaugurated the conference.
Nearly 10,000 workers are engaged in essential services such as sanitation, solid waste management, public health and drinking water supply in Erode district that has one Corporation, five municipalities, 41 town panchayats, and 225 village panchayats. Of them, about 80% have been serving for decades under self-help groups, contract and outsourcing arrangements. The conference noted that many are denied government-fixed minimum wages, Provident Fund (PF), Employees State Insurance (ESI), and other statutory benefits, while facing heavy workloads.
Key demands included abolition of contract labour, strict enforcement and upward revision of minimum wages, regularisation of all eligible workers, inclusion under PF and ESI schemes, provision of protective equipment, and immediate disbursal of the pending COVID incentive and festival bonus.
The conference also resolved to organise demonstrations in front of all local body offices in the second week of October. It further announced that workers would participate in a mass protest in Erode on October 8, pressing the State government to release a comprehensive labour policy.
