Hundreds of workers protested under the banner of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) in Sahibabad Industrial Area here to protest against the “anti-labour policies” of the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government.
“The Yogi Adityanath government tried to terrorise the workers by wielding Section 144, but by turning out in large numbers in inclement weather in Ghaziabad and Noida, the workers have shown they are united against the anti-labour polices of the BJP,” said Anurag Saxena, general secretary of CITU’s Delhi-NCR unit.
He said the government was pro-rich as it had cut corporate tax, but wages and bonus of poor workers were not being given on time. “There has been no change in the profits of the Ambanis and Adanis but the poor are suffering due to high inflation... the new labour code is going to make their lives more miserable,” he added.
Citing the recent fire incident in Delhi’s Sadar Bazaar where dozens of workers died, Mr. Saxena said the workers were employed like “bonded-labourers with no fire exit”. “Is this how ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ would be achieved?” he said.
While demanding an end to contractorisation in permanent work, and payment of same wage and benefits for contract and regular workers, Mr. Saxena added that the amended Citizenship Act and the National Register of Citizens were ways to drive “a wedge between workers along religious lines... but it will not work”.
“The JNU incident [on January 5, when masked attackers beat up students on campus] is a way to divert attention from real issues and the BJP will get a resounding response from the grassroots,” he said
In front of Indure Private Limited in Site IV, Sahibabad, the workers complained about non-payment of salary for three months and provident fund not being deposited. “The production is going on in full swing, but when we ask for salaries, safety gear and medical facilities, we are told that the company has suffered a lot during demonetisation and that is why they cannot pay wages on time,” said Pradeep Kumar, president of a workers’ union.
“There are 90 permanent and 200 casual workers. It seems the company wants the job of permanent nature to be done by casual labour. The impending Labour Code will further embolden them,” he said.
