MPs concerned over plight of unorganised labour

New Delhi, Dec 7: Members in the Lok Sabha toay made a forceful plea for framing a law to protect the interests of unorganised labour in the country and to take measures to see that their livelihood is not threatened.

Initiating a discussion under Rule 193 on the problems of the unorganised sector in the country, Mr Devenda Prasad Yadav (RJD) deplored the fact those who produced the wealth of the nation went hungry at the end of the day. Despite 56 years of Independence,there was no law to protect the unorganised labour and all the reports of the Committees and Commissions to this efect were gathering dust.

He pointed out that only seven per cent of the labour in the country was in the organised sector while 93 per cent was in the unorganised sector, getting no facilites like PF or medical facilites. These included rickshaw -pullers work, bidi labour, carpenters, those working on contract, fruit sellers,and cart pullers.

Out of a total of 37 crore unorganised workers in the country, there were as many as 22 crore farm workers and one crore rickshaw pullers. These one crore rickshaw pullers were supporting families consisting of five crore people, he pointed out.

Mr Yadav said the livelihood of four lakh rickshaw pullers in Delhi was being threatened with the MCD's move to keep them off the city roads.The rickshaws plying in the Chandni Chowk area of Delhi had already been removed.

''It was ironical that labourers in the rual areas were being given 100 days guranteed employment or allowance in lieu thereof under the Rural Employment Guaranteed Scheme by the Government but those rickshaw pullers who were self-employed who did not take help from the Government, and on the contrary, paid taxes,'' he said.

Mr Thawar Chand Gehlot (BJP) said the proposed Bill for the unorganised sector must be introduced immediately as there was no GPF, EPF, health facility or minimum wages for them. Mr Madhusadan Mistry (Cong) said the government did not have the political will to implement minimum wages for the sector, which contributes 60 per cent of the GDP and 50 per cent of savings.

Mr Tarit Baran Topdar (CPI-M) said since the economic reforms, initiated in 1991 by the Congress government, even the employees of the organised sector were facing hire and fire and expressed the fear that the proposed Bill may not address the concerns of the unorganised sector.

UNI