The All India Trade Union Congress, Karnataka state committee held a state level protest against the anti-worker policies of the state and the central government on 8th February 2022,
Wednesday at Freedom Park. More than 8 thousand workers from across the state representing various sectors of the workforce such as construction, aganwadi & mid-day meal scheme, industrial workers from various sectors, Beedi and Plantation workers participated in the protest.
The major demand of the protest was to press the state government to notify the minimum wages in accordance with the established scientific and legal norms. Com. DA Vijaybhaskar (General Secretary – AITUC) addressed the protestors and stated that in the absence of a scientific study by the government, AITUC has submitted a scientific study based on present day prices and in line with the legal norms establishing the need for Rs.31,500/- as the minimum wages. The sky-rocketing inflation over the past 5 years combined with the contraction of the economy and jobs under COVID19 has placed the working class in a precarious position. However, the government in violation of the norms has chosen to provide a paltry 10% increase for the past 5 years in minimum wages, which is illegal, arbitrary and unfair.
Com.HV Ananthsubba Rao (President – AITUC Karnataka) also spoke about the importance of the minimum wages for all sections of the workforce. He lamented the fact that despite the fact that minimum wages increase will apply to 1.7 crore workers in Karnataka, the issue is not being discussed in the Assembly. The mainstream political class of Karnataka have betrayed the working class, he alleged. He urged the legislators to discuss and debate meaningful and material issues of use to the people, instead of indulging petty mudslinging and communal politicking.
A detailed memorandum was submitted to the State government through the Labour Commissioner in the protest demonstration.
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