Provide Work Income and Food for Migrant Workers

The BJP government has utilised the lock down, ostensibly imposed to contain Covid 19, to unleash an undeclared war on the working class and the toiling people.

It has totally failed in containing the disease. The Covid 19 curve continues to rise. It has not yet attained the peak

But the lock down, imposed under the Disaster Management Act, succeeded in pushing crores of workers and their families into deeper disaster by ruining their livelihood and lives. Suddenly they became jobless, income less and homeless.

Over 14 crore workers, 80% in urban areas and 60% in rural areas, lost their jobs. Farmers were unable to sell their produce. 80% of urban households slept hungry. According to ILO 40 crore Indians will be pushed further into poverty.

Government did nothing to implement its own directions issued during the lock down period – not to retrench workers, not to cut their wages, not to vacate them from rented houses. Even these were withdrawn after 54 days. Instead it cruelly chose the lock down period to advice state governments to increase working hours and carry out other anti worker amendments to labour laws. BJP led governments – Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat were quick to do this; many others except the Left led Kerala government, followed suit.

Initially the Modi government even refused to provide rail transport to the workers who were unable to sustain themselves in cities and desperately wanted to go home. Frustrated workers started walking and cycling, in silent rebellion against government apathy. Highways were suddenly flooded with hungry, thirsty, exhausted workers walking home. Hundreds died of exhaustion; hundreds more in accidents.

All this was done to ensure cheap, flexible and submissive labour for the profit greedy capitalists. Human lives and basic entitlement for human survival are being bartered for profit! Cruelty, thy name is Capitalism!

Migrant workers lived on the margins even before the lock down. Employers utilised their vulnerable conditions to extract cheap labour, without minimum wages, job security and social security to boost their own profits. Governments sided with the employers.

Central trade unions have been fighting for minimum wages, social security to all, equal wages to contract workers, effective implementation of labour laws; they have been fighting the codification of labour laws meant to turn workers into modern day slaves. They led country wide general strikes on these demands. But these strikes were dubbed ‘political’.

Yes, these demands are linked to the policies of the governments. There should be no illusion that workers’ conditions are not linked to policies. They can’t be improved without unitedly fighting the policies. Mere show of pity and shedding tears won’t help.

Workers who have returned home urgently need work, food and income. If ensured decent wages and working conditions, many may go back to cities. Till that time and for all those who choose to remain, along with all rural people, work must be ensured on demand. This can and must be done by expanding MGNREGA and increasing its allotment. The present allotment, even after the increase of Rs 41000 crores is highly inadequate.

The Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan, announced by the Prime Minister only front loads the amount of Rs 50000 crore which has already been allotted in the budget. This too is limited to providing 125 days of work in 116 districts in only 6 states. It is just another case of much ado about nothing.

CITU and other central trade unions and industrial federations have demanded:

• Monthly cash transfer of Rs 7500 to all non income tax paying families for six months
• 10 kg grains per person per month for six months to all needy
• Work under MGNREGA with daily wage of not less than Rs 600 for all demanding work including migrant workers; unemployment allowance as per the provision of the MGNREGA if no work is provided
• Implement urban employment guarantee scheme
• Withdraw all anti worker, anti farmer, anti national decisions
• Strengthen public health system to provide health care as a right

These demands should be urgently met by the government to ensure survival of the migrant workers who have lost their jobs and income due to the lock down. The lock down was imposed by the government, which did not show any concern to protect them from such calamity. It cannot shirk from its responsibility now.

Published by Centre of Indian Trade Unions