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Migrant workers in Kashmir asked to leave as tensions continue in J&K
After the Central government diluted special provisions in Article 370 for Jammu and Kashmir, there have been numerous reports of migrant workers leaving the Valley. The continuous shutdown of communications and severe restrictions of movement has affected Kashmir’s economy as well. Special trains have been arranged by railway authorities from Jammu for workers to return to their states.
In a recent ground report from Kashmir, Al Jazeera narrates the stories of workers who have been left stranded and others who can’t find any work and live in fear. They say there was no prior notice given to poor migrant workers. Though there have been no recorded instances of violence against workers by locals, many migrants were asked why they have not left.
There is fear and paranoia on both sides as the locals suspect that these workers might be the first to settle in the Valley as special provisions prohibiting outsiders from buying land in the state have been read down.
This report in Hindustan Times further details the problems that migrant workers who are returning to their states are facing. CNBC TV18 claims that at least 80% of the semi-skilled and skilled workers working in different parts of Kashmir are non-locals. The report further explains how stopping of developmental work, construction and slow business following restrictions that were imposed in the state has forced non-local labourers to flee.
There is fear and paranoia on both sides as the locals suspect that these workers might be the first to settle in the Valley. Photo: PTI
Health workers in Andhra hold massive protest demanding pre-poll promises be fulfilled
Thousands of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers and Community Health Workers held a massive protest at Lenin Centre in Vijayawada on Monday demanding that chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy fulfil his pre-poll promises to them. The workers organised under the banner of the Andhra Pradesh ASHA Workers Union, which is affiliated to CPI(M)’s Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU).
“During his padayatra, Jagan promised to increase our salaries from Rs 3,000 to Rs 10,000 per month. After becoming the chief minister he announced the increase in our salaries but we are not even being paid Rs 10,000,” workers’ leader P. Mani told The Indian Express. The workers were also to be paid an honorarium over and above the salary that they claim has not been paid to them for four months. There are nearly 45,000 ASHA workers in Andhra Pradesh.
A government order was issued on August 7 to enhance the salaries of ASHA workers from Rs 3,000 to Rs 10,000 and was supposed to come into effect from August 1.
ASHA workers are frontline health workers who are responsible for implementation of the government’s policies in villages across India. The workers have staged a number of protests in different states demanding raise in salaries, regular payments and recognition as permanent government employees. In many states, they are not recognised as regular workers and are paid incentives for specific tasks. Anganwadi and ASHA workers are often called “care workers” or “scheme workers” which they say is an excuse to undervalue their labour and pay low wages.
Responding to the protests, the state government has said that it has begun the process to clear due of these workers. “We had a meeting and discussed the pending dues of ASHA workers. We are writing to district officials to make sure that all the staff receive their payment on time. They have been asked to submit the bills to us,” National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) State programme manager I. Ramesh, told The New Indian Express.
Over 5,000 children abandon education in mica mining districts of Bihar and Jharkhand
A survey by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has revealed that over 5,000 children from ages six to 14 have abandoned education in the mica mining districts of Bihar and Jharkhand. “The Commission has observed that a section of children in mica mining areas are deprived of opportunities and reportedly work as child labour to supplement their family income,” the survey report said. The report adds that these children might be facing several developmental issues and their rights might have been violated.
The reasons for not attending schools included “domestic necessity at home, apprenticeships, lack of aspiration, lack of interest and also cases of collecting mica scraps”.
The Survey on Education & Wellbeing of Children in MICA Mining Areas of Jharkhand & Bihar covered the districts of Koderma and Giridih in Jharkhand and Rajauli Block, Nawada district in Bihar. According to the report, the objectives of the survey were to find out the educational status of children in the mica mining areas, number of children who are not attending school, whether children are involved in collecting mica scraps, if vocational trainings are provided to the adolescents, and the presence of NGOs in the area.
“In Koderma around 93%, Nawada 92% and in case of Giridih around 86% boys do not receive any training for job-oriented courses,” it said. The report stressed on the need and scope to provide job oriented vocational courses to the adolescent boys and girls.
According to a PTI report published in The Hindu, officials say selling mica scraps is the main means of livelihood for many families in these areas. “Several families do not see the benefit of sending their children to schools and instead prefer them working in collecting and selling mica scraps,” an official said.
The reasons for not attending schools included “domestic necessity at home, apprenticeships, lack of aspiration, lack of interest and also cases of collecting mica scraps”. (Representational image) Source: akshayapatra/pixabay
Five sanitation workers die while cleaning sewer in Ghaziabad
Five men suffocated to death while working in a drainage project sanctioned by the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation in the Nandgram area of Ghaziabad. The workers were working allegedly without safety gear on the project that would connect domestic sewer lines with the main drainage system of the city, India Today reported. They were employed by private contractors who did not provide them with safety equipment.
The deceased have been identified as Damodar (40), Horil (35), Sandip (30), Shiv Kumar (32) and Vijay Kumar (40), all residents of Samastipur in Bihar.
“Around 1 pm, one of the men went inside the sewer line but did not come out. Then one by one the other four men went inside to find out. When none of them came out, another man went inside and saw the five men lying in an unconscious state,” India Today quoted an official as having said.
Following widespread media coverage, swift action was taken. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Adityanath announced ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakhs each to the families of the deceased. “A case has been lodged against the contractor, EMS Infracon, and three of its engineers after the civic body filed a police complaint alleging negligence. Municipal Commissioner Dinesh Sharma has been directed to take legal action against errant persons and officials,” District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey told India Today.
Data collated by the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) had revealed that at least 50 persons have died cleaning sewers in the first six months of 2019 alone. This number is expected to be an underestimation as the data is just from right states. An RTI filed by The Wire revealed that despite a 2013 law completely banning the practice of manual scavenging, there was a threefold rise in their numbers from 2013 to 2018.
For exhaustive coverage of manual scavenging and sanitation, check The Wire’s dedicated section, #GRIT.
Workers of ordnance factories call off strike
Around 82,000 civilian employees across 41 defence production facilities have called off their scheduled month-long protests beginning on August 20 after assurance from the government that the decision to corporatise ordnance factories was not final and workers’ concerns will be considered by a high-level committee.
The employees feared that defence production would be privatised in the garb of corporatisation.
“A joint statement by the three recognised federations representing civilian employees at Ordnance Factory Board (OFB)’s 41 factories said that they have taken a decision to “postpone” the ongoing strike from Monday (August 26), claiming that they have been assured by the government that no final decision has been taken to corporatise the ordnance factories,” PTI reported.
International news
Bernie Sanders unveils sweeping labour plan
“Bernie Sanders wants to fundamentally overhaul US labour law by expanding workers’ rights to organise and strike and establishing a new system of sectorwide bargaining,” Bloomberg has reported.
The Workplace Democracy Plan, available on Sanders’ website, says it will make it a priority to restore workers’ rights to bargain for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. Bernie’s 18-point “pro-union” plan sets an exhaustive labour agenda.
Ben Beckett, a union steward in New York City and a member of New York City DSA, writes in Jacobin magazine about the Medicare for All and union contracts plank stood out to him as a union worker.
“What I believe is that we’re not going to grow the middle class of this country unless we revitalise the trade union movement and unless we provide the opportunity for millions of workers to do what they want, and that is to join trade unions,” Sanders said in an interview on Tuesday.
Bernie Sanders wants to fundamentally overhaul US labour law. Photo: Reuters/Lucas Jackson
Los Mineros wins workers their share of profits from Grupo Mexico
Twelve years after strikes began in three mines run by Grupo Mexico, the company has finally paid workers their share of profits.
“Back in 2007, some 3,000 workers took action against Grupo Mexico after the company refused to amend their collective agreement or to improve health and safety conditions at the three mines. One of the union’s demands was payment of profits for the period from January to July 2007. Grupo Mexico had said that it would only make the payment if workers agreed to take it as severance pay or to leave Los Mineros,” a statement by IndustriALL said.
Mexico’s Los Mineros union is an affiliate of the IndustriALL Global Union.
Read the full story here.
Extra reading:
Bernie’s plan for workplace democracy is the boldest presidential plan for workers’ rights ever
Why passing laws does not count as reform
How Amazon is fighting back against workers’ increasing efforts to unionise
Decoding the Code on Wages 2019: Why the move to protect workers can backfire
Google is cracking down on its employees’ political speech at work
Auto sector slowdown: The story of auto-component makers
