Indian Workers protest layoff policy

Itanagar, June 14: Workers in Arunachal Pradesh are anything but willing to shake hands with the government on its “golden handshake” policy, approved by the cabinet recently.

“We protest the government’s policy of retrenchment. It speaks volumes of the government’s apathy towards the labour force,” the president of the union, J. Sonam, said today,

Public works department and urban development minister Nabam Tuki said labourers with less than 15 years’ experience would be paid 15 days’ salary for each year and compensation of Rs 2,000 for the current year. The fate of the labourers with experience above 15 years would depend on a directive from a court of law.

Tuki said the cabinet had decided to implement the policy to reduce a financial burden of around Rs 107 crore, which is what the government annually pays as wages to over 30,000 labourers.

But Sonam complained that the committee which decided the compensation for retrenchment never thought it necessary to take the workers’ union into confidence.

He said the union conducted a survey in Lohit, Changlang, West Siang, Upper Subansiri and Lower Subansiri districts and a list of workers, including some with more than 15 years’ experience, was also compiled.

The government’s decision allegedly came before the completion of the assessment process.

The government did not implement the revised wages recommended by the labour department but stuck to its practice of paying low wages since August 2006.

The wages paid were Rs 65, Rs 60 and Rs 55 for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labourers in area-1 category against the payment of Rs 76.08, Rs 72.72 and Rs 66 respectively, the union claimed.

The union is planning a demonstration against the cabinet’s decision at the Solung playground in Itanagar on Sunday.