New Delhi 26 November, 2020: The Indian Journalists Union expresses solidarity with the call given by the South Asian Regional Trade Union Council (SARTUC) to commemorate Regional Action Day today and observe Decent Work for All, to coincide with the National Day of Action organized by 12 Central Trade Union Organisations and Independent Federations of Workers against the anti-labour policies of Government and corporatisation and privatisation of Defence, Railways, Petroleum, other key PSUs in India.
The decision taken at its virtual Executive Committee meeting on 15 October, the SARTUC noted that COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on hundreds of millions of workers across the world including the South Asia region, where poverty and inequality is rampant. The abrupt changes in labour market due to the crisis have severely impacted the socio-economic lives of the workers. Millions of workers (over 2 million in Afghanistan, 540 million in India, and around 20 million in Pakistan) are experiencing job loss, non-payment of wages, unpaid force leaves, reduced wages and deduction of government benefits.
As part of activities planned, the SARTUC is supporting the 12 Indian trade unions and International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)/ITUC-Asia Pacific’s action plan against merger of existing 44 Labour Laws into 4 Labour Code. The affiliates, it was decided, would write to their respective governments to express solidarity for the Indian workers and reach out to respective stake holders with its charter of demands.
In a statement IJU President and former member of Press Council of India Geetartha Pathak and Secretary General and IFJ Vice President Sabina Inderjit said they couldn’t agree more with SARTUC concerns that instead of addressing the concerns raised by the trade unions, respective governments, including Government of India, are passing draconian anti-labour laws without discussion or consultation, and coercively restricting trade unions.
The IJU, has in fact, vociferously objected to the 4 labour codes, specially the Code on Occupational Safety and Health, which subsumes the Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955 and The Working Journalist (Fixation of Rates of Wages) Act, 1958, which shall adversely impact the working journalists in the country, and had accordingly held protests and accordingly made a representation to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour.
The IJU supports the charter of demands as listed by SARTUC to respective governments, which includes, decent work for all with fair income and job security for workers during and after COVID-19 pandemic; ensure social security including old-age pension, free health care, and unemployment allowance; need-based minimum wage for informal workers be guaranteed; elimination of gender-based discrimination ensuring equal pay for equal work; employers should pay wages for closure of industries, commercial establishments during the lockdown period; reinstatement of retrenched workers due to the COVID-19; government should ratify Core Convention 87 and 98 on Freedom of Association and Right to Bargain Collectively; Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment at work.
