Karnataka: Directorate of Public Instruction issues warning to schools against unlawful termination of Mid-Day Meal workers
27 January 2020: Directorate of Public Instruction has issued a circular to all schools in Karnataka warning them of strict action for terminating the services of Mid-Day meal workers on the basis of their caste. DIP has further said that Mid-Day Meal workers cannot be asked to cook during private functions including those held by teachers.
Government National Database of Workers in Informal Sector
19 January 2020: Ministry of Labour and Employment has been planning a national database of workers in the informal sector to better implement the social security schemes for informal workers by seeding their Aadhar details in a central database. National Statistical Commission has been roped in to help the Labour Ministry carry out the exercise to map over 90% of workers who are forced to work in informal and precarious employments.
Odisha: Government hikes employment days under MNREGA from 100 to 200
17 January 2020: Odisha government has hiked employment entitlement for rural workers from existing 100 days to 200 days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for residents of 20 blocks which were found to be vulnerable during household survey in the state. Residents of 477 gram panchayats across the districts of Bargarh, Balangir, Nuapada and Kalahandi districts will benefit from the move.
Haryana: Pension for widow and elderly under Building and Other Construction Workers Fund hiked
16 January 2020: Haryana Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board has announced an increase in the pension of widows and elderly to Rs.2,750 per month from the existing Rs.2000 and Rs.2500 per month respectively. The Board has also sought a plan from the road transport department to issue free pass for construction workers to travel on Haryana Road Transport Buses thereby easing commute within the state.
Maharasthra: Government to conduct safety audit of all hazardous factories
14 Janurary 2020: Following the massive blast in chemical factory at Tarapur in Palghar the Maharashtra Government has directed the labour department to conduct a safety audit of all hazardous factories in the state. Over 8% of factories in Maharashtra fall in the hazardous category. Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health and Directorate of Maharashtra Fire Service among other departments have been directed to ensure compliance of safety norms. Maharashtra has witnessed an unprecedented hike in factory mishaps since it replaced factory inspection with self- certification.
Chandigarh: Municipal Corporation mandates real-time tracking of Safai Karmcharis through GPS enabled watches
13 January 2020: Contravening right to life and property of Safai Karmcharis the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has mandated the use of GPS enabled watches for payment of wages. Municipal Corporation claims that the real-time movement tracking of workers through GPS enabled watches will put an end to absenteeism. The watches which cost the Chandigarh government Rs.20,000 a piece are three times the wages of contract safai workers who work at meager Rs.8,000 per month.
Workers have opposed the move and submitted a memorandum asking the Municipal Commissioner to withdraw the notification.
Karnataka: Wages of National Health Mission contract workers to be slashed
6 January 2020: Wages of over 23,000 contract workers employed under the National Health Mission (NHM) will be slashed as the Central government has declared the wage hike by the Karnataka government to be unscientific. The Karnataka State Health Department had rationalised the wages of all contract and outsourced National Health Mission staff to end wage disparity among workers employed for similar work under different sections. The restructuring of 2017 wages will result in wage cuts for over 20% of contract NHM workers. Social workers working in the mental health unit who were drawing Rs. ₹27,563 after the rationalisation in 2017, will get ₹16,044 after the restructuring. Ward assistants, who drew ₹11,025, will now get ₹5,700 and record keepers will get ₹8,684 against the previous pay of ₹12,800.
