Members of Construction Workers’ Federation of India (CWFI) struck work on Monday and staged a demonstration, pressing a charter of demands, including representation for trade union leaders in the Tamil Nadu Construction Workers’ Welfare Board Committee.
Led by CWFI district secretary S.A. Santhanam, the workers staged the protest at Aranmanai here, demanding increase in monthly pension, payment of Rs. 1 lakh in the event of natural death of workers and against inordinate delay in payment of assistance given to families in the event of death of workers.
Addressing the demonstration, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) district vice- president John Soundararajan said that the nine-member State-level welfare board committee had earlier comprised representatives of recognised trade unions but now filled with ruling party leaders and urged the authorities to replace the ruling party men with trade union representatives.
He said that earlier the construction workers were admitted into the welfare board based on certificates issued by president and secretaries of recognised trade unions but now the authorities insisted on letter from the Village Administrative Officers, making it difficult for the workers. They also insisted on workers producing community certificates, he added.
CITU district secretary N. Sivaji condemned an inordinate delay in payment of assistance given to families in the event of death of the workers who were members of the welfare board. In many cases, the hapless families waited for three to four years to get the assistance, he said.
The workers demanded increase of monthly pension to Rs. 5,000 and payment of pension to women-members after they attained 55 years.