Govt decision on social security to unorganised workers 'deception

New Delhi, May 27 (UNI) Strongly criticising the UPA government's decision to constitute a National Advisory Board to design welfare schemes for unorganised workers, a consortium of NGOs and social activists has threatened to launch a mass movement demanding a comprehensive legislation providing social security as fundamental right to poor people working in unorganised sector of the country.

'Social Security-Now', a consortium of more than 500 civil society organisations, peoples groups and a group of trade unions of unorganised workers, has expressed its dismay and anger over the Cabinet's giving its approval to the constitution of the Board for designing, from time to time, suitable welfare programmes for different sections of the unorganised workers and recommend the same to the Government.

Terming the decision 'deception' to more than 40 crore unorganised sector workers and their families, the Consortium said, ''The UPA government has downgraded the status of the Board, downgraded social security to arbitrary welfare schemes and maintained a studied silence on crucial issues like tri-partite character of the Board, coverage, funding mechanisms and a time frame for implementation.'' Pointing out that the cabinet decision meant that the welfare schemes for workers in the unorganised sector will be introduced in a phased manner, it said that it was travesty of justice' as the country would become an economic super power on the sweat and labour of these unorganised sector workers.

In league with the Central Trade Unions in India, 'Social Security-Now' had called for a comprehensive social security bill incorporating employment regulation, livelihood protection and dispute resolution based on the principle of social justice. It had specifically demanded that the bill should affirm the rights of unorganised workers, in particular, rights of women, Dalits, tribal and other marginalised workers, and their representation in the social security boards and their administration.

It also demanded that considering the significant contribution of the working poor in building the economic edifice of the country, government should earmark at least 5 per cent of GDP to the social security needs of the unorganised workers. Significantly, it also called for the constitution of Unorganised Worker Boards at the Central and State spheres as statutory body by a legislative enactment.

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