'Govt places no value on manual labour'

State convener of Construction Workers’ and Other Unorganised Sectors’ Workers’ Organisations, B Umesh, accused the government of placing more value on skilled labour and sidelining manual labour.

He was speaking at an academic workshop organised by the Slum Dwellers’ Welfare Committee and Youth Resource Committee in the city on Sunday.

“The problems of common man are not coming to light and preference is being given only to the corporate field. The government policies are all oriented towards the capitalists,” he said.

It is not only the unorganised sector, but also the organised sector that fears for job security. Government which have disregarded social security are only interested in vote bank politics, Umesh accused.

Technology, liberalisation and privatisation pose a big challenge to organising the youth. Our cultural traditions are on the decline and our health, financial and cultural lives are full of challenges, he said, expressing concern. The relentless struggle of the unorganised workers has borne fruit and a draft is being prepared for the constitution of the Social Security Welfare Board, he added.

State convener of Janandolana Karnataka, A Narasimha Murthy said that unorganised workers are not being paid the wages fixed by the government.

“People working in private households are not yet being recognised as workers. There is disparity in the wages being paid in India and other countries. Our wages are being determined by someone else and we are being sidelined as unskilled. Employment guarantee schemes should be extended to urban centres as well,” he said.

District Slum Dwellers’ Welfare Committee organising secretary Shettalaiah, Muruga, Bhagyamma, Veeravan, Raji, Narasimha, Chakrapani, Raghu, Gayathri, Shruthi and Kempeshwari of the Youth Resource Centre were present on the occasion.