Social security to unorganised workers: Govt

New Delhi, Jan 20: The Government would soon bring a bill to provide social security to unorganised sector workers while stringent action would be taken against those not complying with the minimum wages act, Cabinet Secretary B K Chaturvedi said here today.

Addressing the Valedictory session of the three-day Policy Conference on Home Based Workers of South Asia, organised by SEWA and UNIFEM here, Mr Chaturvedi said that two draft legislations on providing social security to unorganised sector are ready and would soon be presented before the cabinet, following which it would be tabled in Parliament to pass a law on the crucial issue.

The legislation would take care of both men and women workers in the unorganised sector, including home based workers, he said.

Of the two draft legislations, one was prepared by the Arjun Sen Gupta Committee and on the basis of that, the labour ministry has prepared a separate draft. They have been sent to Authoritative Group of Secretaries for its perusal, and within two weeks to a month, it would come before the cabinet, he said.

However, on the demand of the Conference for a wider National Policy on the Home Based Workers, Mr Chaturvedi said that the policy would have a wider ambit and require work by various ministries like Labour and Women and Child Development so it might take time. However, he asked the Conference leaders to send their draft of the policy to the government, which would take suitable action to benefit the three crore home based women workers of India. The government is already taking steps to increase their earning capacity, skill upgradation and social security, he added.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has already assured full support for any such National Policy on Home Based Workers as envisaged in the Kathmandu Declaration of the Conference. He has also assured a bill to provide micro-fianancing facilities to home based workers.

Reacting to the charge that when women at many place were not getting minimum wages, how the government would ensure their social security, the Cabinet Secretary said that under the Minimum Wages Act it was mandatory to pay the minimum wages and action would be taken against anyone found violating it.

Mr Chaturvedi said that the bill regarding providing micro-finance would focus on the requirements of rural areas and small scale and cottage industries as most of the home based workers are employed in textiles, handicrafts and computer chip assembly units. He said that it was part of the government's commitment for empowerment of women.

On this occasion, the Cabinet Secretary also formally launched 'HomeNet South Asia' (HNSA), the apex federation working towards strengthening home based workers organisation and network in the rgeion. HomeNet South Asi has federated networks of organisation of homebased workers comprising over 600 member organisations in five countries--India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

It has emerged as a dynamic and vibrant network representing over 3,00,000 home based workers from the region.

Meanwhile, the conference recommended National Policies for Home-based Workers, which includes the rights and concerns of home-based workers mentioned in the Strategic Action Plan as priority issues in the upcoming SAARC Summit in April 2007. It calls for formulating National Policies for Home Based Workers, increasing trade opportunities for them by exclusive retail platforms and trade promotion initiatives.

The Conference stressed the need for ratifying ILO Convention 177 and supported the Development of the SAARC Gender Database to include data on Home Based Workers. It called for recognizing Homenet South Asia as a representational body of home based workers.

Ms Chandni Joshi, South Asia Regional Program Director, UNIFEM, said that an action based research conducted by HNSA shows that HBWs across the South Asian region share certain sources of vulnerability but the heterogeneity within the sector is a strong argument in favour of locale-specific approaches. It further shows that economic insecurities of HBWs are linked to low earnings, seasonality, stagnant markets, competition from new products/ markets, and also to lack of credit and training support.

The study highlights health, housing and children's education are top priorities for the home based workers and recommends for multiple and creative partnerships.

UNI