Members of the All India Trade Union Congress protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Wednesday. , photo credit: special arrangement
The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) Karnataka on Wednesday asserted that the state and central governments should fix a minimum wage in the range of ₹31,500 per month in view of the precarious condition of the working class after the pandemic, especially in the present sky. In touching position. inflation scenario.
In the absence of a scientific study by the government, the AITUC submitted a scientific study based on present-day realities and in line with legal norms, establishing a requirement of ₹31,500 as the minimum wage, it said in a statement.
Skyrocketing inflation in the last five years combined with the contraction of the economy and jobs during the pandemic had put the working class in a precarious position, it further said.
The AITUC organized a massive protest at Freedom Park against the “anti-labour” policies of the state and central governments. Over 8,000 workers from across the state representing various sectors such as construction, anganwadi and mid-day meal scheme participated, apart from industrial workers and beedi and plantation sectors.
AITUC general secretary DA Vijayabhaskar said, “The aim of the protest was to pressurize the state government to notify minimum wages as per established scientific and legal norms.” However, the Government has chosen to provide a meager increase of 10% in the minimum wages in the last five years in violation of the norms, which was illegal, arbitrary and unjustified.