'Wage disparity increasing gap between rich, poor'

Criticising the wage structure for the employees in different organisations at different levels, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) National Vice-President H V Anantha Subba Rao called the wage distribution system in the nation is of discriminatory in nature.

In an organisation if the permanent employees are receiving wage of Rs 800 per day, the contract workers are offered wage of Rs 120 a day. This unjustified wage structure is expanding the gap between the rich and the poor. The rich people are turning richer by day and the poor are turning poorer, he said.

He was speaking after inaugurating the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi district level 13th AITUC Conference at Karnataka Bank Employees Association in Mangalore on Sunday.

“There are as many 140 labour laws in India. But regrettably hardly any of these laws enacted to favour the working class, are used by the workers. The fact that as many 40 crore working population in India are not entitled to pension in itself reflects how weak the system is.”

“There is a need to bring awareness among the working class about the pension schemes and empower them to claim their right to obtain the pension,” stressed Subba Rao.

Condemning the lethargic attitude of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa towards the working class, he said Yeddyurappa has time to visit temples and religious places, but he has no time nor interest to visit and analyse the condition of the working class.

“In the month of February, the Union members visited the CM and submitted him a memorandum, requesting to fulfill demands, but nothing has happened so far. In fact, the Labour Department which is instituted for the welfare of the labourers, in itself is one of the most corrupt departments in the State,” he said.

He also came down heavily on KSRTC Division Controller Karumbaiah for being corrupt. “He is the kind of officer who does not even mind saying openly that he sends monthly commission (bribe) to Transport Minister R Ashoka,” he alleged.
AITUC District President V Kuckian presided over the function.