The issue faced by migrant workers took the centre stage as labour minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar met the representatives of 12 central trade unions (CTUs) on Wednesday. RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) said considering the plight of such vulnerable workers, compulsory methods should not be adopted to dissuade them from going to their home states to rejoin with their families.
BMS president Saji Narayanan said the government should immediately start creating a national register for migrant workers. He also pointed out that the Inter State Migrant Workers Act, 1979 was grossly violated when train fare was collected from workers.
Other trade unions were also on the same page on the migrant workers’ issue, sources said.
However, labour secretary Heeralal Samariya clarified that “no train fare has been taken from the migrant workers,” as per an official release. Samariya informed the CTUs that a database of migrant workers in various states to monitor their situation is being collected in coordination with the states. Twenty helplines/control rooms have been set up to resolve any issue relating to food, payment of wages to workers or any other issue of workers arising due to Covid-19.
Unions also demanded that more trains need to be provided to transport the migrant workers stranded in various parts of the country. These labourers may also be provided with financial assistance to run their families and may also be facilitated to return to work once the situation gets under control.
Other issues that came up for discussion include measures to generate employment, restart economic activities and improve the situation of MSME to enable them to discharge their liabilities under labour laws.