As women employment increases, trade unions are also trying to involve the workers in the unions and take up the issues that the workers face with the officials concerned.
“We are talking about forming unions for them,” says M. Arumugam, former MLA and AITUC leader.
If there are complaints such as women employed after 6 p.m. or not paid the mandatory welfare benefits, the unions do submit complaints to the officials concerned. But, there is hardly any action taken, he alleges. Not only in the manufacturing industries, but in plantations too, almost 50 % of the workers at the estates are women. There are women workers from Assam and West Bengal too at the estates. “Engagement of women in industries is on the rise and we have not yet organised them into unions. But we are working on it,” he says. Another trade union leader here, who did not want to be quoted, said there are several challenges that the women workers face, including safety issues.
“The rules are not implemented properly and there are unconfirmed reports of harassment at work places. It is not that at all workplaces women safety is given priority. We do take up these issues where there are unions. But, there are difficulties in organising them into unions in many industries,” the leader said. This is mainly because the industries provide transport facilities and sometimes accommodation to even local workers. In the case of migrant workers, language is also a problem. “It is a challenge to meet them and interact with them. We are trying continuously, ” the union leader said.
