Over 6 Lakh Workers to Join Strike on Nov 25 in National Capital, say Trade Unions

Delhi: Over 6 lakh workers across Delhi are to take part in a one-day strike on November 25 to protest against the “brazen neglect” of the working population in the national capital, Delhi units of Central Trade Unions (CTUs) said on Tuesday.

The national capital in the recent past has witnessed an increment in “contractualisation and fixed-term employment in jobs of perennial nature,” that has ensured that the wages of the workers in the city “remain lower than the minimum wages,” even as prices of essential commodities are surging, leaders of twelve trade unions said in a press conference on Tuesday.

“We are thus calling the working population of the Delhi to join the strike on November 25 and intensify the struggle of saving their rights through ‘collective bargaining’,” the unions said in a statement, released after the conference. The statement was signed by CITU, AITUC, AICCTU, HMS, INTUC, AIUTUC, TUCC, LPF, SEWA, UTUC, MEC and ICTU.

Held in BTR Bhawan, the conference was attended by the leadership of unions. “Over 6 to 7 lakh workers will join the strike on November 25,” said Anurag Saxena, Delhi state secretary, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), adding that they are angry against both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Centre.

“Both the parties have ignored the issues of the working population during the Covid period and even after that. In Delhi, Labour Minister Manish Sisodia hasn’t convened one single meeting since past two years with the trade unions despite receiving at least four joint letters from us,” Saxena said.

Mukesh Singh of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) said that the population of the workers in Delhi would be over 60 lakh and “almost all among them,” are working in the unorganized sector, with a majority of the factory units in the notified industrial areas not following the rules and regulations, as stipulated by laws.

“For these workers, there are no labour regulations and what they receive as monthly payment is also often less than minimum wages. Yet, the labour department turns a blind eye towards this reality,” he said.

Recently, the minimum wages for workers in Delhi was incremented after an increase in the Dearness Allowance, in what is being seen as a bi-annual move. Accordingly, after the increase this time, the monthly salary of unskilled workers in Delhi has been increased from Rs 15,908 to Rs 16,604; while, that of semi-skilled workers from Rs 17,537 to Rs 17,693; and, that of skilled workers from Rs 19,291 to 19,473.

Singh of AITUC however, said that this was not enough, given the “record-high” inflation. “Also when the minimum wages are not enforced on the ground, so what is the point of increasing them,” he said.

The Delhi trade unions are demanding have been demanding Rs 26,000 as minimum wage for the unskilled worker along with monthly cash support of Rs 7,500 to the unorganised workforce. Besides, they are also demanding the AAP-led Delhi government to not implement the contentious 4 Labour Codes in the national capital.

“We also want the Delhi government to not forget its promise of ending the system of contractualisation. The AAP must also ensure that the posts in labour departments are filled as soon as possible to strengthen the labour regulating mechanism,” said Narayan Singh of Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS).