Workers hold mega protest in Mandi against Centre’s 4 labour codes
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Mandi: In a significant demonstration of unity and dissent, hundreds of workers rallied in Mandi on Thursday while responding to a call for protest by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).
The protest targeted the recent introduction of four labour codes by the central government. Participants included anganwadi workers, mid-day meal staff, MGNREGA workers and street vendors, each group articulating its specific demands.
The protesters organised a march through the city, which culminated in the submission of a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi via local administration officials.
The memorandum demands the annulment of the four labour codes that replaced 44 existing labour laws, advocating for the reinstatement of the previous regulations.
CITU general secretary Rajesh Sharma pointed out that these labor codes were initially drafted during the previous BJP government but were not implemented. The current Modi-led administration aims to enforce these codes within the next hundred days, prompting nationwide protests. Sharma emphasised the workers’ demand for a minimum monthly wage of Rs 26,000.
The anganwadi union put forward several key demands: the provision of gratuity as mandated by the Supreme Court, the regular recruitment of nursery teachers from within the ranks of anganwadi workers with exemptions from the NTT certificate requirement, the elevation of all mini anganwadi centres to full centre status, and the promotion of helpers over 35 years of age with at least five years of service to worker status.
They also seek parity in salaries and pensions with those in Haryana. The union plans to convene a conference on July 28 to chart the future course of their movement.
Similarly, the Mid-Day Meal Union demanded the immediate implementation of the Himachal Pradesh High Court’s decision to grant them 12 months’ salary instead of 10, the reassignment of mid-day meal workers to other schools if their current schools are merged or closed, the issuance of licenses to street vendors, and the provision of the declared daily wage of Rs 300 and 100 days of employment for MGNREGA workers.
CITU issued a stern warning that if the state and central governments fail to address these demands promptly, the protests will escalate, and the government will bear full responsibility for the ensuing consequences.
Prominent leaders and officials present at the protest included Archana, Tamanna, Rano, Hero, Sulekha, Gurudas Verma, Gopendra Sharma, Suresh Sarwal, Hamindri Sharma, Bimla, Sudarshana, Nago, Indra Singh, Rajendra Kumar, Lalit, Surendra Kumar, Praveen Kumar, Jagdish and Prakash Thakur.
