By IANS,
Kolkata : Social activist Anuradha Talwar, an active participant in Mamata Banerjee’s anti-acquisition protests in Singur, Saturday slammed the Trinamool Congress regime’s decision not to adopt labour welfare measures of the erstwhile Left Front government.
“Our meetings with the labour department and the labour minister (Purnendu Bose) have not been very pleasant,” said Talwar, state committee member of Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity – a platform for unorganised sector workers.
“The previous regime had revised the minimum wages and brought in progressive measures. This government, however, says it will not consider those measures. The labour minister clearly said he wouldn’t consider those measures, rather will bring in new ones,” she added.
Several trade unions, including Trade Union Co-ordination Centre (TUCC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, met here to discuss and raise demands for fixation of minimum wages as well as other issues related to the unorganised sector workers.
The trade unions will stage a demonstration in July to press demand for fixation of minimum wages.
The unions want floor level minimum wage of Rs.316 for urban areas and Rs.290 for rural areas, and their implementation without delay, and regular revision of wages as per established norms.
Talwar said the new government was undermining the importance of trade unions.
“The new government is not encouraging unions. They consider them to be centres of corruption. They want to directly communicate with the workforce, which is practically not feasible.”
Talwar, who had played a leading role in the Trinamool Congress’ protests against the “forcible” land acquisition for Tata Motors Nano project in Singur, said the trade unions would also be meeting Banerjee with their charter of demands.
The charter asks for better implementation of the Minimum Wages Act and introduction of stringent punitive measures along with timely disposal of complaints. Provision of identity cards to the unorganised sector workers has also been asked for.