From the platform of Ten Central Trade Unions

We the platform of Ten Central Trade Unions, as signed below are putting forth the following
urgent issues before you as the Minister for Labour & Employment in this introductory meeting
being held on 28.08.2024 at New Delhi.
1. Indian Labour Conference (ILC), a tripartite body has not met for last 9 years (The last time it
met was in 2015.)
All the changes in labour laws and codification of 29 central laws were proceeded without
passing through ILC. Code on wages was passed in 2019 itself without any democratic exercise.
Three codes were introduced when the nation was grappling with Covid virus and the workers
were among the worst victims. On top of that, whole opposition was on boycott in both the
houses, so no discussions happened on labour codes in Parliament as well. It was treasury
bench proposing Bill on Codes and they themselves adopting these.
* Our demand for holding the Indian Labour Conference (ILC) immediately.
* Scrap the Labour Codes and start dialogue in ILC for changes in laws to the satisfaction of all
concerned.
* Trade unions have since long demanding ratification of ILC conventions 87,98,189,199.
2. The workplace safety is a major issue. Every day workers die or get disabled at work places.
Most of them on contract and single bread earners in the family do not get compensated and
the families struggle for survival. Two conventions of ILO no.155 and 187 are brought to the
Fundamental Principles of Rights at Work (FPRW) by ILO in its conference in 2022.
* These conventions must be taken into consideration while framing any laws on occupational
safety and health issues of workers.
* For OSH, C-81 for inspection be implemented.
3. The Public sector enterprises and undertakings of our country in mining, exploration,
excavation, manufacturing and service sector have played tremendous role in the development
of our country. The public services through government departments were advanced in our
country to the advantage of common people. But the continued push for privatisation/
disinvestment/sale of all the PSUs/PSEs and the Public services in detriment to inclusive growth
are our serious concern. National Monetisation Pipeline Scheme (NMP) is another instrument
to sell national assets to the chosen corporates.
* We want immediate halt to privatisation of Indian Railways, and Road transport, Coal mines
and other non coal mines, Port and Dock, Defence, Electricity, Postal, Telecom, Banks and
Insurance sector etc in the national interest.
* The NMP Scheme to be scrapped.
4. The defense ordinance factories, 41 have been corporatised into seven companies despite
the total opposition to the move by almost total workforce which went to strike action as well.
The government is further contemplating to reduce it to three corporations. The private sector
entities are the beneficiaries. The defence sector is vital for national security and it should be in
the government sector.
* Our demand is for role back of the corporatisation of Ordnance Factories.
5. The minimum wages are very low. We have been looking forward to the implementation of
constitutional concept of living wages. However, even minimum wage calculation as per 15th
ILC recommendation and the recommendation of Supreme Court in Raptakos case are not
implemented.
* Our demand for minimum Rs 26000/- as minimum wage.
* Regular revision every five years with price indexation.
* 8th pay commission should be constituted at the earliest.
6. The jobloss, and no recruitments in sanctioned posts, dangerously growing unemployment
are our concern. The outsourcing, contractorisation and casualisation are making workers
vulnerable leading to extreme exploitation. Fixed term employment is another method of bringing
uncertainty in the lives of workforce.
* Our demand for withdrawal of Fixed term employment.
* The Government should begin forthwith for recruitments of sanctioned posts and also to revive
the lapsed posts.
* The creation of new jobs should be priority of Government to address the unprecedented
unemployment.
* Agnipath scheme to be scrapped and regular recruitment to be started at the earliest.

* 8 Hours of workday is the hard won law by the trade unions and ILO convention no.1 is for that
only. Violation of this law must stop.
* Similarly Equal pay for Equal work be implemented.
7.The budgets on education and health have been reducing in real term taking inflation into
consideration. This area needs serious attention. The New Education Policy is meant to
encourage commercialisation in education making it unaffordable for poor, lower and even
middle income groups of society. The children of workers specially in the informal economy will
be deprived of education.
8. The basic civik services are deteriorating. The workers' basties are worst affected and they
get sick very often and loose their workdays.
* The health benefits to the workers need extension.
* Special attention to be paid on this for minimum life needs of the people.
* Contractorisation in these services be ended.
9. The pensionary benefits to be extended to all the senior citizens for dignified living. The
pension be treated as a right.
* Restore non-contributory Old Pension Scheme.
* Those covered under EPS 95 be given minimum of Rs.9000/-.
* Those not covered under any scheme be given Rs.6000/- per month by creating special fund
corpus through sharing of budgets of the states and the centre.

10. 75 lakh beedi workers bereft from social security benefits after the Beedi and Cigar Workers
Welfare Cess Act, 1966 got repealed as soon as the GST was rolled out are waiting for justice.
* These workers should be linked to the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).
11. Social Security for more than 71 million construction workers should also be linked with the
Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) for their holistic health care. Their contribution
should be paid from the cess collected in “The Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare
Board”. According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, 2020, approximately Rs 38,000
crore are lying unutilised with the BOCW state welfare boards.
* The portability of registration of these workers should be ensured as portability is important to
avail benefits and social security schemes for construction workers.
12. As per the latest update, 27.88 plus crore E-shram registrations have been completed. All
those registered under E-Shram portal need to be covered under social security E-shram data
should be used to frame policies for the unorganised workers and dispensing at least the basic
Social Security of healthcare, maternity benefit, education for children and insurance is extended
to the workers.
* Therefore it is required to put funds both from Central and State level to start the social security
schemes.
13. There are more than one crore workforce being deployed in welfare programmes under
various government ministries but are termed as volunteers and paid only honorarium.
* Implement the recommendation of Indian Labour Conference to give worker status to scheme
workers-Anganwadi, Asha and Midday meal, Asha Kiran etc and ESIC coverage to them.
14. There is an urgent need to form a Climate Resilience Fund to cover the risks and damages
caused due to extreme climate conditions including heat wave, floods, cyclones, unseasonal
rains and so on. This will enable the families to meet their basic needs and invest in recovery
efforts during the tough times of income loss.
15. The National policy on migrant workers is urgently needed and interstate Migrant Act 1979
be revisited, strengthened and implementation assured. There is need for changes in
immigration policies as well as the protection needs of our international migrant workers.
16. With the increase in the unemployment in the Urban areas, there is a need for the Secured
Employment scheme like MGNREGA that needs to be declared in the urban areas for the
unorganised sector workers as per the unanimous recommendation in 43rd ILC.
17. The government should ratify ILO convention on homebased workers and make laws in
accordance for ensuring wages, social security and health coverage. They are around 5 crore
of them on piece rate wages.

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