Hosiery workers held rally under banner of Hosiery workers Union (AITUC)

Ludhiana, April 19, 2014: To protest against blatant flouting of the labour laws and to press upon the administration to ensure effective implementation of the labour laws, hosiery workers from different parts of the city held a rally under the banner of Hosiery workers Union (AITUC) at the Basti Jodhewal Chowk Ludhiana today. They were carrying banner and placards and shouted slogans to press for their demands.

Addressing the rally D P Maur, General Secretary Joint  Council of Trade Unions Ludhiana said that labour laws are being flouted with impunity by the industry and the labour department has failed to get these laws implemented. This is despite the memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner Ludhiana on March 13 this year.  The labour department is sleeping. There is no time limit for the duty for workers who have to many a times work for 12 to 16 hours without required over time allowance. Attendance of many workers is not marked, as a result they do not get ESI or other benefits like provident fund. In many places the workers are virtually like bonded labour.

Speaking on the occasion, Feroze Master said that piece rates in the hosiery have not been revised in the last 14 years while prices have gone high by almost 4 to 5 times during this period. Due to this the workers are facing malnutrition. The  workers do not have proper place to live, nor they have clean drinking water or sanitation facilities. The children do not have facilities for education nor medical care. Workers are having lot of resentment on these issues.

O P Mehta, General Secretary AITUC Ludhiana in his address said that it is mandatory that every worker should be marked attendance, issued ESI card, their provident fund be deposited, and extra payment be given for over time at the rates as per law.  He said that proper residential colonies be erected for the workers with drinking water and hygiene facilities along with facilities for health care and education.

Kartar Singh Bowani Secretary and Dr Arun Mitra Assistant Secretary said that barring communist parties no other party has any agenda for the workers in their manifestos. The poor toiling worker is completely marginalised by the political parties barring left.