People's Democracy

CITU Delegation Meets PM

On Scheme Workers’ Demands

A delegation of the CITU led by Sitaram Yechury and Basudev Acharia, MPs met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on November 29, 2012 and submitted a memorandum on the demands of ‘scheme workers’ that were raised in the two day ‘mahapadav’ near Jantar Mantar on November 26-27, 2012. The delegation comprised Hemalata, secretary, Ranjana Nirula, treasurer and AR Sindhu, working committee member of the CITU.

The delegation demanded recognition of all workers employed in different schemes/ programmes of government of India as workers/ employees, payment of minimum wages, social security benefits to all these workers and regularisation.

The prime minister gave the delegation a patient hearing and agreed that these workers are the pillars of human development of the country. He said that he shares the concern that their conditions should be improved. He assured that he would study the suggestion made by Sitaram Yechury to constitute a committee of all the different ministries involved with himself as the chairman and do whatever was possible to improve the conditions of the workers in different schemes.

When the prime minister raised the issue of financial implication and the difficulties due to the economic downturn, the delegation asserted that payment of minimum wages would, in fact, help in the economic recovery.

CITU congratulates the thousands of the ‘scheme workers’ who have participated in the historic two days’ continuous day and night ‘mahapadav’ braving the cold and chilly weather in Delhi. It calls upon all the scheme workers to strengthen their unity and intensify the struggles to ensure that the assurances of the prime minister are implemented and their genuine demands are achieved.