JOIN US'Cancel contract system, provide minimum wages'
The office-bearers of United Plantation Workers Union Kodagu district unit staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Thursday, urging the government to fulfill their demands.
The protesters who began their protest rally from Mahatma Gandhi ground reached the DC’s office via Indira Gandhi circle and submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner to be forwarded to the Chief Minister.
Addressing the protesters, Union District General Secretary H M Somappa demanded to provide year long employment to the unemployed people in the urban areas by extending Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to the urban areas too.
The contract system of the labourers should be cancelled and the workers who have been hired on contract basis should be made permanent in different phases.
A minimum wage of Rs 10,000 should be fixed for all the unorganised sector workers and the workers should be provided with ESPAF health and social security, urged the Secretary.
He also said that there are thousands of siteless workers in the State, who should be provided with sites to build their own houses. The plantation workers in the district are facing problems from the wild elephants, hence steps should be taken to control the elephant menace, said H M Somappa.
In Chikmagalur
The labour class led by All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) district unit too staged protest in Chikmagalur as a part of the state-wide protest urging to fulfill their various demands. The protesters who carried out a protest rally from Tamil Colony at the market ground reached the office of Deputy Commissioner and submitted a memorandum to the Additional Deputy Commissioner.
Speaking during the protest, CPI(M) State Board member B Amjad said the labour unions are protesting against the corruption and inflation due to new economic policies of the government, on the occasion of Quit India movement day. “The common people are put into trouble due to price hike of various products including food items. Therefore, we demand the government to take immediate measures to stop the inflation in the country,” he said. The protesters also put forth the same demands of the protesters in Madikeri.