CUDDALORE: The Centre should subscribe to the International Labour Organisation convention on the right to form trade unions and collective bargaining so as to bring all domestic establishments and multinational companies within the ambit of labour laws.
The ongoing 11th State conference of the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) passed a resolution in this regard on Tuesday. Briefing reporters , A.Soundararajan, CITU State general secretary, said that to scuttle the laws the MNCs had set up workers’ committees as their handmaids through whom they forced their decisions on the employees.
Any dissenting voice was an anathema to the MNCs who either victimise or resort to penal transfer to faraway places of those employees who dare form trade unions. They were in the habit of bringing their own officials, engineers, technicians and even labourers from other places, thereby denying job avenues to the local people, except in the human relations and industrial relations sections.
The labour force was generally being exploited through contract, trainee and apprenticeship routes with great wage disparity. Thus, he said, the MNCs were violating Constitutional provisions relating to the right to form trade unions and collective bargaining.
Mr. Soundararajan pointed out that the proposal not to extend the period of apprenticeship beyond one year was pending consent before the President for the past four years. It urged the Centre and Tamil Nadu government to emulate the West Bengal and Maharashtra governments that had passed legislation for recognising the trade unions through secret ballots, preventing anti-labour measures and giving freedom to employees to join the trade union of their choice.
Mr. Soundararajan said the CITU also voiced concern over the exploitation of about two lakh women in the age group of 16-17 years by textile mills across the State under the Thirumagal Thirumana Thittam or Sumangali Thittam.
They were treated just as camp coolies who had to work for 12 hours a day without any leave for a period on meagre wages and at the end of three-four years they were being paid Rs.30,000. In certain cases, women employees were prematurely sacked, denying them the terminal benefits.
The union condemned the denial of democratic rights such as conducting public meetings and staging agitations, and expressed dismay over undue delay in disposal of labour-related cases.
It opposed disinvestment in the public sector undertakings and called for smooth functioning of the welfare boards, Mr. Soundararajan added. District secretary G.Sugumaran was also present.
(Courtesy : The Hindu)
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