The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) on Tuesday staged a protest urging the State government to fix ₹21,000 as the minimum monthly wage for temporary workers.
The protest was held near the Corporation office to press a charter of demands.
AITUC district secretary G. Balan said that many temporary workers in the Cooperative Department were paid a meagre salary of ₹4,000 to ₹5,000. “In today’s economy, how are they to meet their monthly expenses? Hence, the State must pay a minimum salary of ₹21,000 to workers in local bodies, TASMAC and Public Works Department.”
The protestors also raised slogans demanding regularisation of contract workers in government and private companies if they had worked for 240 days in a year. They also demanded that the State pass a resolution urging the Centre to repeal the four labour codes framed by amalgamating 44 Central labour laws.
Also, the State must come forward to take up the education expenses of construction workers’ wards until their higher education.
“The workers are most prone to accidents. In such instances, the State must cover the hospital expenses, and pay ₹5 lakh and ₹10 lakh in the event of natural death and death during harness, respectively. Also, the State must sanction six months of maternity leave and maternity benefit of ₹1 lakh to construction workers,” he said.
They also condemned the hike in electricity tariff and water tax.
CPI district secretary A.P. Manickam and others were present.
