#WorkersStrikeBack: HP Workers Demand Linking of Minimum Wage to Price Index

[As lakhs of workers gear up for a historic All India Strike on January 8-9, called for by ten central trade unions, NewsClick brings to you glimpses of the lives of industrial workers in different parts of the country.]

Preparations are on across Himachal Pradesh as the country is gearing up to witness for what could well be one of the biggest strike actions India has seen. Following the call of a joint platform of 10 central trade unions and dozens of independent federations, workers and employees from all industrial sectors, across units of all sizes and even from service sector and the government employees as well will go on a two-day strike on January 8-9, 2019, to press for their 12-point demand charter.

The Modi era has seen a relentless attack on the lives and livelihoods of working people, both in non-farm and farm sectors. This period has seen rising prices, stagnant wages, galloping joblessness, record-breaking privatisation of public sector, and persistent attempts to introduce ‘hire and fire’ and destroy protective labour laws. This is what has led the strike call to be supported by all the central trade unions, except for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS).

Prem Gautam, state general secretary of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) in Himachal Pradesh told Newsclick, “On November 25, CITU, AITUC [All India Trade Union Congress], HMS [Hind Mazdoor Sabha] and INTUC [Indian National Trade Union Congress] held a state convention where more than 300 people were present and more than 30,000 leaflets were distributed regarding the demand charter of the strike call on the 8th and the 9th January as well as of the additional demands that we are raising in the state.”

He added that the CITU and other organisations have been holding meetings since November 25 in more than 730 villages across the state jointly as well as independently to gauze the various issues and to formulate a plan of action. “On 8th, there are going to be protest demonstrations in the headquarters of all the 12 districts of the state. On 9th, we are going to shut down different centres across the state.”

All the union members working in various hydro projects like NHPC’s stage 2 project in Kullu, the Nathpa Jhakri hydro project in Kinnaur and the hydro projects in Kangra valley, are going to go on a strike on January 9, and plan to shut down these hydro-centres. The unions’ outsourced workers from all the major hospitals like the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla and Tanda Medical College in Tanda will be part of the strike on January 9.

Gautam further said that in Shimla district – where this time is the peak tourist season – all the workers from almost all major hotels across the town and district will also be on strike. “These are major sectors which are going to get affected by the strike.”

“Other than these sectors, CITU has been appealing to workers who are not even in the union to support the strike in the industrial belt of the state – which comprises Solan, Nalagarh and Paonta Sahib,” said Gautam.

Besides, the 12-point demand charter includes key demands of the workers like curbing rising prices of essential commodities, creation of new decent jobs, minimum wages Rs.18,000 per month and minimum Rs 6,000 a month, pension to all, curb on  all the moves to sell public sector undertakings’ (PSUs’) shares and outright privatisation through various routes, universal social security coverage to all, strict enforcement of labour laws and end to their dilution, end to contractualisation etc. Gautam told Newsclick that more than five lakh workers have lost their jobs in the industrial belt of the state due to demonetisation.

“Besides the 12-point demand charter, we have included some demands specific to the state also. Himachal Pradesh is one such state where the minimum wage is not linked to the price index. It is instead linked to the dearness allowance (DA). It is one of the few states to do so. So, in Himachal, we are raising this issue that price index should also be linked to the minimum wage. Other than that, in Himachal, there are around 42,000 outsourced workers who are not even getting minimum wages. We demand that they should be regularised, as they are working as much as a regular employee in return for just Rs 6000- 8000. So “equal wage for equal work” in all the departments; be it health or education,” said Gautam.

He also said, “The demands have been met with silence on the part of the Modi government throughout its almost five-year reign, but now we definitely believe that this strike call is going to be a massive success in the state as well as nationwide, and a reminder to the Modi Government of its injustices towards the working class.

Read more: #WorkersStrikeBack: All Set For Historic 8-9 January Strike in Industries, Rural Areas