Provide incentives to local body workers: AITUC

Members of the Erode District Local Body Workers’ Association, affiliated to AITUC, have urged the State government to fulfil their demands, including incentives during COVID-19 pandemic and also prov

Members of the Erode District Local Body Workers’ Association, affiliated to AITUC, have urged the State government to fulfil their demands, including incentives during COVID-19 pandemic and also providing minimum daily wages for all workers.

The association’s administrative committee meeting was held here in which various resolutions were adopted and a letter was sent to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin urging him to fulfil their demands. A resolution said that the district has one corporation, four municipalities, 42 town panchayats and 225 village panchayats where over 10,000 workers involved with conservancy, public sanitation, drinking water distribution, maintenance of street lights, and office works were employed. Of this, 75% of the workers were appointed through self-help groups, on contract basis and by outsourcing who were paid daily wages.

Though they were working for over two years, they were not paid the minimum wages as fixed by the government or given any benefits. Also, they were not given safety gadgets or medical facilities available for them. Another resolution said that the government had provided an incentive of ₹ 15,000 to conservancy workers in hospitals. “But these workers were not given any incentives”, the resolution said. Another resolution said that minimum wages have been fixed for the workers in the local bodies by the district administration which was to be implemented from April 1, 2021. “But, they are yet to receive their revised wages,” the resolution said.