Bhubaneswar: For the promotion of social security of unorganized workers in Bhubaneswar city the Anasangathita Sramik Manch, odisha in association with Center for child and women development, Action aid and European commission inaugurated a Sramik Sathi Ratha to aware the Labourers in city slum pockets here today. Demanding Old Age protection, Health & Maternity, Life and Disability cover, Minimum wage for unorganized workers should be INR 629/- per day. Ensure House to all for unorganized Workers etc. The Ratha will move in different slum pockets of the city. Lastly a memorandum taking 5000 signatures will submit to Honble Chief Minister of Odisha &Labour Commissioner of odisha for the wellbeing of workers said Sadasiv Swain Secretary of CCWD. The Sramik Sathi Ratha inaugurated by Journalist Surendra Patra here at sikharchandi Nagar. Among others Phulamani patra, Jyotshnarani mishra, Prakash samal, Biranchi Narayan Mallick & Prafula Dora were present. Lastly Abhya Pati Proposed a warm vote of thanks to all.
Our demands that the universal social security schemes for unorganized workers should have the following minimum features:
1. Old Age protection. All old aged persons (men and women), widows and physically/challenged persons, not under a formal social security cover, should be provided with a pension which is at the level of half of the national minimum wage. The age of eligibility for pension must be revised to 50 years for women and 55 years for men in the informal sector. Within this, special relaxation must be made for the particularly vulnerable workers in various occupations and social groups.
2. Health & Maternity. The universal health package should be made available through the public health system and should cover OPD and Diagnostics. Women must be unconditionally entitled to a maternity benefit for nine months (3 months before delivery and 6 months after delivery) at an amount not less than half the minimum wage.
3. Life and Disability cover: Workers must be provided an insurance of Rs 200,000 for death by natural causes and Rs 500,000 for death due to accidents. This should be along the lines of the provisions of the Construction Workers Welfare Board.
Further, we urge the government to take the following steps for the implementation of the social security programmers:
1. Ensure, within six months, that all informal workers are provided with ID cards for social security which should be solely based on self-declaration. Such registrations should not use biometric identification systems. Also this must be independent of all existing identification cards, such as Aadhar and U-WIN. The union budget must bear complete fiscal responsibility for this process.
2. A single Ministry should be created which would responsible for the provision and implementation of social security. All necessary funds for the programmers should be transferred to the Unorganized Workers Social Security Fund.
3. Amendments should be made to the Unorganized Workers Social Security Act (UWSSA) 2008 to make the provision of universal social security schemes rights based and with universal coverage. Portability must be ensured.
4. The creation of the National and State Social Security Boards should be mandatory under the Act and should be done within six months. The Boards should be given the necessary powers and should not be only advisory. Workers’ Facilitation Centers should be set up as mandated by the Act.
5. Minimum wage for unorganized workers should be INR 629/- per day
6. Provide health care and urban basic services at all labour hubs in urban areas of the state
7. 50% Seat should be reserved for the children of unorganized worker’s in all govt. and private
Schools and colleges.
8. Ensure House to all for unorganized Workers
9. Increase the amount of marriage supported by OSBOCWWB to INR One lakhs.
Finally, we also demand that the government should provide all necessary financial and administrative support for the implementation of the MGNREGA and the NFSA which will help to create a healthy and productive population, and also increase the productive asset base of the rural areas.
Comments are closed.