The Joint Committee of Trade Unions (JCTU) will organise a State-level protest rally on Wednesday in keeping with the decision of the National Convention of Workers to carry out nationwide protests. The rally will commence from the Bangalore City Railway Station and culminate at Freedom Park. “The culmination of the rally will be marked by a public meeting that will be addressed by State leaders of central trade unions,” CITU State secretary K. Mahantesh said.
The demands of the trade unions include stringent measures to curb price rise and provide essential commodities at subsidised rates. In the backdrop of the downward spiral that the economy is following, the trade unions want the government to fix the statutory minimum wage for workers across the country at Rs 10,000 a month. In addition, the unions have demanded that the minimum pension per month be set at Rs 3,000.
Demanding job security for workers, the trade unions have included in their memorandum a request to regularise contract workers in a phased manner. Also on their wishlist is healthcare, EPF Act, ESI Act benefits for workers in the unorganised sectors.
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Noting that workers find it hard to organise themselves into trade unions, one of the demands of the JCTU is to compulsorily register trade unions within 45 days of applying.
The State-level protest rally will be followed up by a nation-wide stir on December 12 – Parliament Chalo.