Construction workers transported abroad illegally, says CWFI

Mandi, Sep 8 (UNI) Construction Workers Federation of India (CWFI) General Secretary Debanjan Chakraborty today demanded strict action against unscrupulous construction contractors who had illegally transported over 10 million workers to other countries in the last few years.

''The workers transported to other countries were forced to live without adequate food and housing for days together and without being paid minimum wages for the work taken from them,'' he said at a press conference here.

Mr Chakraborty said a central legislation enacted way back in 1996 for the welfare of the construction work was only being implemented in Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, MP, Haryana and Uttaranchal, while the remaining states continue to ignore it.

Expressing concern at the rising prices of steel and cement in the country, he said the increase in their prices had virtually made it impossible for the working and the middle class people from building their own houses.

He claimed the increase in their prices were affected by private companies, while urging the Central Government to prevail upon the companies to reduce their prices for the interests of the common man.

The workers should be provided necessary training to prevent their weeding out of the multi-national companies, who usually throw out people after taking over a plant or a company, he said.

The Secretary of the CWFI also asked the government to give preference to Indian companies instead of multi-national companies while awarding work to make the country strong and prosperous.

Speaking on the occasion, General Secretary of the Himachal Pradesh unit of the Centre for Indian Trade Union (CITU), Kashmir Singh Thakur, said it was an irony that the country had a law that prevents atrocities on animals, while there was no law protecting humans from atrocities.

Referring to inhuman treatment being given to construction workers in various parts of the state, he lamented at the money and muscle power of the companies that were gagging the voices of the workers demanding the implementation of labour laws at the work places.

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