AICCTU finds draft wage rules unfair, prejudicial to workers

Bengaluru: In pursuance of the Code of Wages, 2019, the government of Karnataka has brought out the Karnataka Code on Wages (Draft) Rules, 2021 on March 2, 2021. The All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) has submitted its detailed objections to the same alleging the complete "inhumanity" and "illegality" of the draft rules. In its submission, the union felt that bringing in the Rules during the second wave of the pandemic, when the working class has been pushed into a humanitarian crisis, is an attempt to destroy the hard won rights of the working class.

One of the objections is that the draft rules are not available in Kannada which has resulted in the exclusion of the vast majority of the working class, who form the affected class in this instance. AICCTU also stated that there has been no publicity given to the draft rules to ensure that workers from across the State are made aware of it.

AICCTU further pointed out that the draft rules change the calculation method for minimum wages in a way that will reduce the rates dramatically.

"Rent previously corresponded to the minimum area - the proposal now is for rent expenditure to be 10% of food & clothing expenditure. This is out of touch with reality," the union observed.

"Lakhs of workers covered by existing laws, including garment workers, construction workers etc. belong to the most vulnerable sections of society. Minimum wages are a welfare tool to prevent exploitation of labour and to tackle poverty and inequality and must not be undermined," AICCTU list of objections mentioned.

The list of objections also say that the rules create a vacuum as they fail to provide for the manner of raising a dispute in cases of discrimination in remuneration between men and women, which is provided for under the existing law.