Scheme workers seek minimum pay of RS 18,000

Hyderabad: The CITU Greater Hyderabad Central City Committee on Wednesday demanded  recognition as workers those working under schemes like Anganwadi, Mid-day Meal, ASHA, NHM, Sarvasiksha Abhiyan, with a minimum salary of Rs.18,000. It said facilities like PF and ESI should be extended to them, along with the recommendations made by the 45th Indian Labour Congress. 

CITU Greater Hyderabad Central City Committee on Wednesday demanded  recognition as workers those working under schemes like Anganwadi, Mid-day Meal, ASHA, NHM, Child Labour projects, MGNREGS, Kasturba Gandhi, Sarvasiksha Abhiyan, Rozgar Seva, Swachh Bharat campaign, IKP, VOA, RPs & SERF Workers stage demonstration, which was part of the nation-wide strike by the scheme workers numbering one crore, preceded by a rally from VST 

The committee wanted adequate budget allocated to the schemes, while stressing that they should not be privatised. Leaders and activists of the committee on Wednesday staged a demonstration near Sundarayya Park to press the demands and creation of basic facilities for the workers by both the State and the Central governments. 

The demonstration, which was part of the nation-wide strike by the scheme workers numbering one crore,  was preceded by a rally from VST to the park. The committee leaders pointed out that the workers were involved in Anganwadi, Mid-day Meal, ASHA, NHM, Child Labour projects, MGNREGS, Kasturba Gandhi, Sarvasiksha Abhiyan, Rozgar Seva, Swachh Bharat campaign, IKP, VOA, RPs and SERF. 

They said most of the workers were women belonging to poor communities were doing duty with devotion, striving to take the government schemes close to the people. Yet they were not getting adequate benefit for the labour put in. The workers were not even paid the minimum wages, with non-implementation of labour laws.

Among those present on behalf of CITU were Jayalakshmi, K Venkatesh, M Venkatesh, J Kumaraswamy, R Vani,  B V Vijayalakshmi of AITUC and Bharat of AIUTUC.